


Underneath The Surface

by Dragonquillca



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-04
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-21 21:49:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 69,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1565255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonquillca/pseuds/Dragonquillca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While learning to control her magic, Emma opens a portal that pulls she and Regina in. They end up far from home. They must draw on magic to get back, but magic doesn't work the same in this new place. How will they survive in this new land, with only each other to rely on? Eventual SwanQueen, just not right away. All good things are worth waiting for. This is becoming an epic piece. I am extremely proud of it. There's adventure here, romance, a little spice, friendship, trust and both the best and worst of people. Please let me know what you think!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE  
By Carolyn McBride

“Miss Swan, you simply need to concentrate and you aren’t doing that. If you would just apply yourself...”  
“Regina! If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that in my life, I’d be rich, so cut me a little slack here ok?” Emma snapped at the once Evil Queen. “Besides,” her voice gentled, “Remember what it was like learning how to do this? It’s not always easy.”  
Regina thought back to her own struggles to master magic. She remembered all too well failed attempts to manipulate her world around her. “You’re right, would you like to rest, perhaps have some water?”  
Emma brushed a stray lock of blonde hair from one eye. “Yeah, okay, that’s a good idea.” She walked to her car, opened her door and flipped the seat forward. She pulled a basket from the back seat and shut the door. Walking to the front of the car, she set the basket on the hood and from it pulled two bottles of water. She sat on the front bumper and held one bottle out to Regina. The former Queen, turned former Mayor took the water with a small nod and also sat on the bumper.  
“So what made you agree to teach me magic?” Emma asked.  
“What made you ask?” Regina responded.  
“That might work with everyone else, but not me. You answer my question and I’ll answer yours. Deal?”

“Very well. At first I just wanted to irritate your mother, I suppose.” Seeing Emma roll her eyes, Regina shrugged. “I can’t help it, I fall back into old patterns, Miss Swan. But after I considered your request, I realized that it was likely better that you learn it from me than Rumplestiltskin.” Regina uncapped the bottle in silence after that and Emma knew it was her turn.  
“I’ve been here over a year. You’ve tried to kill me, had me arrested, we’ve been through a fire, and a near-collapse of a mine. I think you can probably call me by my first name now. In answer to your question, I figured that you were the one person in all of Storybrooke that can teach me magic that wouldn’t do it for your own gain.”  
“True enough I suppose, Miss ... Emma. Forming a portal is a difficult thing. Almost as difficult as healing magic. Rumple told my mother once that the root of all magic is emotion. I think there’s more to it than that. I think it is both emotion and intent. So when you are trying to form a portal to go somewhere, you need to tap into a strong emotion and keep in mind where you want to be.”  
“What if I don’t know where I need to be, just that I need to be somewhere else, like if there’s danger?” Emma asked before taking a drink.  
“Then you would be safer not going very far. Perhaps only a few feet away, just outside of the danger.”  
“Granny made sandwiches and packed some fruit too.” Emma riffled through the contents of the basket and chuckled.   
“Something amuses you?”  
Emma smiled and held up the fruit. “Apples”  
They both smiled.  
“There’s a blanket in the back, we could find a nice spot and sit and eat properly.”  
“Are you suggesting we have a picnic, Miss Swan?”  
“First name, Regina, remember? And yes, I am. Why not? Are you honestly going to sit here and tell me you’ve never once been on a picnic?” Emma went to retrieve the blanket.  
“No, but it has been a very long time.” Regina’s voice took on a sad tone.  
“Perfect! Then today, we turn that around! Come on!” Emma reached down and grasped Regina’s hand and pulled her to her feet.  
Both women were keenly aware of the tingle that passed between their clasped hands, just as both were very aware that Emma had not yet let go of Regina’s hand.

The Queen in Regina wanted to protest being dragged through the woods like a commoner. The mayor in her wanted to remind Emma Swan of her station in life. But she, strangely, did neither. To her surprise, she found she was enjoying the feel of a soft hand in her own. She surprised herself further when she wove her fingers through Emma’s. It was as if her brain stopped thinking and instinct took over. Or her heart, but that was another line of thought that she wasn’t ready to face, so she simply concentrated on keeping her footing and holding the hand in her own.

For her part, once she felt Regina’s fingers slip into her own, Emma could have kept walking forever if it meant she could hold hands with Regina. This felt right. All too soon, she found a perfect spot in a clearing, lit by soft sunlight above the treetops.  
Neither moved to take back their hand.  
“This is very nice, Emma. Shall we spread the blanket?”  
Emma realized she was going to have to release Regina’s fingers. “I guess so.”  
As soon as they let go of each other, Emma felt a pang of hollowness. She wondered if Regina had felt it too, but was a little afraid to ask.  
They got to work spreading the blanket out and unpacking lunch.

Regina had worn practical clothing that morning. Sand coloured pants, sturdy black shoes, a wide black belt and a steel-grey linen shirt. She had thrown a black jacket on at the last minute, and Emma had to admit that the other woman looked pretty good for a day in the woods. It had been their intent to come out here so that Regina might teach Emma how to control and use her magic. Emma had thrown on the first clean clothes she looked at. She didn’t pay too much attention to her clothing choices. It just wasn’t a priority for her. But there was something about the simplicity with which Emma Swan dressed that intrigued Regina. Perhaps it was the way her jeans hugged every curve, or the way the oxblood shade of her leather jacket brought out the blue in her eyes. Emma took off her leather jacket before passing Regina a sandwich, and when she moved her arm, her muscles rippled under the skin. Her arms weren’t overly muscular, but they were sculpted, and Regina found a flush spreading from her own neckline. Try as she might, she couldn’t look away from the arm that was stretched toward her.  
“Regina? Tuna salad okay for you?” Emma asked.  
The former queen blinked, swallowed and nodded. “Yes...that’s...good, thank you.”

Emma knew what Regina had been staring at, but said nothing. It was getting increasingly obvious that Regina was attracted to her, but she knew that if she said anything about it right now that Regina would bolt like a frightened deer, and their day would be cut short. So Emma chose to pretend she hadn’t seen or felt anything.

The dark haired woman sat with her legs tucked off to one side under her while she ate her sandwich and pondered this new development. Emma Swan should be the last person she was attracted to. Not because they were both women, but because every twist and curve in her strange life dictated that Regina should be with someone else.  
Someone her mother would approve of, and definitely not the daughter of her rivals.  
But her body was sending different messages. Ones of attraction and interest.  
Curious.

Across from her, Emma was lost in musings of her own. She could still feel a slight tingle where their hands had touched, and she knew enough now to recognize the faint buzz of magic. But there was something more too. She knew that look that Regina wore. Wonder, surprise, confusion. It was as if Regina was waking after a long nightmare under her mother’s influence. Emma had found herself increasingly drawn to the former Mayor for the past few months, but she would have bet on those feelings being unrequited. Now, she wasn’t so sure. Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could smell the pine trees around them, the tang of water off in the distance, and ever so faintly, the scent of Regina’s perfume. Emma kept her eyes closed and listened to the sounds of the forest.  
Regina watched Emma sit and breathe, and unashamedly studied the blonde. She tracked every slope, every curve, even right down to the way her calves disappeared inside her brown lace-up boots. When she finally brought her gaze back up, she found Emma watching her and smiling. When Emma winked at her, Regina dropped her gaze and blushed a bright red.  
She focused on finishing her lunch then.

When the food was gone, and their water nearly done, Emma brushed her hands off and said, “Should we get back to it?”  
“Indeed.” Regina stood up smoothly and tucked her trash away in the picnic basket. Emma followed her example and slipped her jacket back on as if it were a piece of armour. Which in many ways, it was.  
Regina walked slowly away for a few feet before stopping. “Let’s try it here, away from the road.”  
“Okay.” Emma came to stand beside her.  
“Think of needing to be somewhere else, very urgently, and envision yourself standing somewhere different than that spot.” Regina coached her. “Think of a strong emotion, some thing that gets your adrenaline moving.”  
Emma’s eyes were shut tight, her forehead creased in concentration but nothing was happening.   
“It’s no good!” Emma got frustrated and snapped her eyes open. “Maybe I’m just not cut out for it, Regina!”  
“I refuse to believe that the woman who insisted on staying in Storybrooke just to irritate me is giving up so easily.” Regina smiled to take the sting out of her words as she turned toward Emma. “Giving up is unlike you, Emma Swan. You can do this. Henry gets his stubbornness from you. Try again. Hold your hands palm outward, like this...”  
Regina stepped behind Emma and guided her hands until they were at waist height, palms out. She put her own hands lightly on Emma’s hips, intending to provide a little magical juice to the effort.  
Emma felt the buzz start up again, but closed her eyes and focused on forming a portal. She envisioned a swirling mass of smoke and searched within herself for some strong emotion and found fear.

Fear that Henry would turn his back on her, too-late fear when she thought back to his trip to Boston to find her, fear when he had been trapped in the mine with Archie. Fear to a life lived alone now that she had a family.  
She felt a breeze lift her bangs.  
“See the portal in your mind’s eye...picture it as you saw the portal in Lake Nostos...” Regina’s right hand unintentionally slipped lower and Emma felt a surge of something that was definitely not adrenaline.  
The slight breeze suddenly gusted into a strong wind and Emma’s eyes flew open.  
In front of them was a flattened, swirling mass of light blue smoke, curling in on itself. The wind picked up, howling and shrieking. Leaves flicked off the ground and whipped up into the air, mixing with the smoke.  
“Emma, perhaps, you’d better...”  
“I didn’t mean for this...how do I stop it?” Emma had to yell to be heard over the wind.  
“Whatever caused this surge in your emotions, tamp it down!” Regina shouted.  
“Then you’d better take your hand off my thigh!” Emma cried out.

Regina looked down in alarm. Her hand was indeed resting comfortably on Emma Swan’s thigh. Quickly, Regina withdrew her hand. The wind faltered for a few heartbeats, but gusted again.   
Regina took her other hand off Emma’s hip.  
But the wind did not abate this time.  
The wind shifted and became a vacuum, slowly drawing both women into the portal that still swirled with blue smoke.  
Emma was alarmed to feel her feet pulled into the portal she had created. She glanced around, looking for anything to hold on to, but there was nothing.  
Her fear spiked hard then, and the wind responded, drawing her closer, further into the swirling mass. She could see trees beyond the smoke, and blue sky, but different than the trees that surrounded them.  
She slid closer and closer, unable to stop herself. She fell then and felt Regina grab for her hand. But it was too late, they were both sucked into the portal of blue smoke and leaves. The portal snapped shut with a loud crack behind them, leaving their picnic basket, the blanket, and Emma’s yellow Bug behind them.


	2. In Over Her Head

UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE, CHAPTER 2  
In Over Her Head  
By Carolyn McBride

There was a pounding in her head that would not go away.  
Regina opened one brown eye and instantly regretted it. Her picnic lunch threatened to come back up, but she breathe through it and managed to keep lunch where it was supposed to be. She opened one eye again, and found the pain a little less. She was confused, she knew she was lying down, but why? She let both eyes open and saw a bright blue sky on an odd angle.  
Then she realized it was her head on an odd angle.  
Resting on something soft, in fact.  
Emma Swan’s thigh.

Emma...the portal....  
Regina tried to sit up quickly, but that only made her stomach lurch again. She propped herself on one elbow and looked up at Emma, who was still unconscious. Regina could see no blood, and took that as a good sign.   
“Emma...” Regina’s voice came out as a croak. She cleared her throat and wished they still had water. “Emma, wake up.”  
Regina pulled herself with her elbows up the length of Emma’s still form and eventually came to crouch beside the blonde. She brushed a length of hair away from those still-closed eyes and wondered what it would be like to kiss those thin lips.  
But she dragged her eyes away and forced herself to focus on their surroundings instead. They were in a forest, but not the one she was used to. This one was populated by birch, oak and maples, instead of pine trees. They seemed to be alone, which could be a good thing or not, depending on one’s viewpoint. She couldn’t smell any sign of a village or town, so there was no way to know exactly where they were.  
She looked back at Emma, who was still out like a light.

Regina chewed on her own bottom lip, torn between curiosity and concern. “Oh what the hell.” She muttered and leaned forward.  
The kiss was nothing like she had expected, albeit, once sided.   
Emma Swan’s lips were soft and tasted slightly of cinnamon.   
Deep inside of Regina, something long-sleeping stirred and stretched.

Emma Swan let out a gasp and a moan. Regina put a hand on her shoulder.   
“Don’t get up yet, Miss Swan. Just lie still for a minute.”  
“You just kissed me, Regina, you can probably go back to using my first name, don’t you think?” Emma groaned, but stayed where she was. “I need...”  
“Yes? What can I do?” Regina leaned forward and placed a light hand on Emma’s forehead.  
“Kiss me again?”  
“Honestly, Emma, I hardly think this is the time...”  
Emma Swan went with impulse again and lifted her right arm, swept it behind Regina’s neck and pulled the other woman’s head gently down.  
This kiss was a dance of cinnamon, apples and magic. Regina felt a wave of white light race through her veins and explode with little bursts of fire behind her eyes.  
Emma felt it too, but instead of pulling away, she craned her neck forward and closer. She felt something inside herself pop and flood through her like a tsunami of gentle heat.   
Regina pulled away first. “Did you feel that?”  
Emma lowered herself to the ground, her head whirling. “Yeah. Was that magic?”  
“Of a sort.” Regina peered into the other woman’s eyes. “Do you hurt anywhere?”  
“Not now.” Emma gave a half-hearted chuckle.  
“Do you think you can stand?”  
“I’m ok, I think. Are you?”  
“I’ll survive.”  
They struggled to stand, leaning against each other for a few moments for stability.  
Finally, Regina said, “Do you see anything that looks familiar?”

Emma looked around slowly. The view was the same from every angle.  
Trees, trees and more trees.  
“Nope. Any idea where we are?”  
Regina shook her head. “As near as I can tell, we’re in a different forest than our own.”  
“Ever been camping before, Regina?” Emma asked.  
“No. Mother thought it was uncivilized.”  
“Of course.” Emma shot Regina a look and said, “Good thing for us I had a foster family who believed roughing it was a chance to bond. First, we need to find water.”  
“How do we do that?”  
“Do you know what a river smells like? Or just before it rains? That’s what we want.” She lifted her nose slightly and began to sniff the air. Regina sniffed as well.  
Emma looked at the trees again, only with a different intent. She spotted a sturdy tall one whose branches were spaced just right for climbing.   
“I’m going to climb up that tree and see if I can get a better idea of where we are.”  
Regina spun around. “You’re going to what?”  
Emma didn’t hear Regina’s protests, she was already half way up the big maple.

The tree she had chosen to climb was taller and older than the others that surrounded it. Very quickly Emma was able to learn quite a bit. She stayed up in the tree, watching the surrounding tree tops, learning which way the wind blew, and catching the glint of a stream not too far off. She wanted to stop on reflect on the kiss they shared, but that would have to wait for later. Right now, their survival depended on her. Carefully, she backed down the tree, being sure of every step before she moved.

Once her feet were on the ground, she brushed her hands off on her jeans and turned to find Regina waiting. “Well, the good news is that there is a stream not too far off. We’re in a valley, pretty wide, really, and there’s a road not too far beyond the stream. The bad news is that I didn’t see any sign of a town. But one thing at a time, right?”  
“Indeed. Which direction was the water?”  
Emma pointed.  
“Let’s find this stream of yours, then.” Regina said and headed off in the direction Emma had indicated.

They walked along in silence for quite a while, each of them wrapped in their own uncertainties. Emma felt a chill and zipped up her leather jacket, glad she had put it back on after lunch. She was watching the forest floor as they strode under the trees, unaware that Regina was watching her.  
“What are you looking for?” Regina finally asked.  
“Edible plants I recognize. We have to assume we’re going to spend the night out here, and we’ll need nourishment. I’m not into eating crickets or grubs unless they’re the only thing between me and starvation. So we may have to go vegetarian for a bit.”  
“I would help you, but I have no idea what to look for. I’m afraid my skill set is not going to be useful this time.” Regina replied a little sadly.  
“We don’t know that yet.”  
Regina didn’t reply. She was glad she had chosen such sensible footwear and clothing that morning. While Emma looked for plants, she watched for the stream. Gradually, she began to feel a breeze blowing on her face, and not long after that, she began to smell a change in the air.  
“Emma, I smell the water!”  
“Good, it’s not far now then.”  
Only a few minutes more walking brought them to the banks of a wide stream.

Regina cast a wary glance at the water. “Do you think it’s safe to drink?”  
“Well, we should really boil it before drinking, but unless you brought a kettle we’ll need to find some kind of container that we can put in a fire.”  
Regina made a face but slowly scanned the bank for something they could use. After long minutes of futile searching, she came to a realization. “This is so not the time.” she muttered.  
“What’s that, Regina?” Emma called out.  
“I have to...go.”  
“Oh, well, just watch for poison ivy and use a bush, I guess.”  
“What does it look like?”  
Emma came over and looked around a little bit. “See this plant here? That’s it. Don’t touch it and definitely don’t squat on it. You’ll get a rash like you’ve never had before in a place you really don’t want one!”  
Regina studied the clustered leaves on a red stem carefully, nodded and went off to follow nature’s urges.

As she was doing her belt back up, her gaze fell on a shape that seemed out of place for the woods. After ensuring she wasn’t sticking hand into anything dangerous, she reached under the leaves and grasped the unknown object and pulled.  
“Emma! I found it!” She followed the sounds of Emma’s shouts back to the stream, smiling at such a small contribution. A juice can should work, don’t you think, after a wash?”  
Emma was nodding and smiling. “That’s great! Well done!”  
Regina didn’t hesitate to bend and wash out the large tomato juice can below a small gathering of rocks. The water riffled away the spider nest and debris, and soon enough the can was as clean as it was ever going to be. When she turned her back to the water, Emma had already started gathering wood.  
“I think it’s best if we make camp here, and set out tomorrow. We’ll need to be well rested if we’re going to be walking any great distance.”  
Regina nodded, set the can on a flat spot and headed further into the forest to help gather wood.

When they had amassed quite a large pile of dry wood, Emma dug around in her pocket and pulled out a small metal tube.  
“Knowing you, I’m guessing that’s not lipstick.” The brunette quipped.  
“Nope.” Emma shook her head and dug around in her other pocket, this time pulling out a small red penknife. From one of her jacket pockets she pulled out a dried birds nest she had found under a tree. Close to the bank of the river there was a sandy spot, and it was here she set the nest, and over that a pile of small twigs. Around those she built a scaffolding of larger branches, with dried pine boughs interlaced among them.  
“Make sure you have a supply of larger branches handy, but not too big. We want to build up gradually.” Emma advised her dark-haired companion.   
Settling next to the carefully constructed pile of wood, Emma quickly drew her penknife down the metal tube, creating sparks that fell into the dried nest. At first, none of them caught, but she repeated her actions, encouraged when a few sparks landed and glowed. She gently blew on these, and her heart leapt when they ignited. She blew again gently and watched as the small twigs also caught the flame. It didn’t take long to get a nice fire going and settle the can of water at the side of the flames.

Once the water had boiled for a couple of minutes, Emma dropped the wild peppermint leaves in and let them twist and turn in the bubbling water. After a minute or so, she pulled the sleeve of her jacket down so she could grasp the top of the can without burning herself.  
“We’ll have to share it straight from the can once the metal cools, I’m afraid.”  
Regina nodded and put her hands in her coat pockets. “Where will we sleep?”  
“I have a plan for that too. After we’ve had our tea, we’ll make a small shelter.”  
“Really? Out of what? Wishes and dreams?” Regina allowed some of her old snark to slip back.  
Emma ignored it, knowing Regina was out of her element here, and probably afraid. “Out of boughs, bark and whatever else we find. It won’t be your bed back home, but we’ll do the best we can.” Emma sat on the ground beside Regina as they waited for the can to cool.  
She watched Regina flex her fingers, relax them and flex them again.  
“No magic here?”  
“There is, but ... it’s like I can’t tap into it. It’s elusive.”  
“Well, keep trying, you might catch it yet.” Emma gave her a small smile. She reached toward the can gingerly and was relieved to find that it had cooled enough to be picked up. She picked it up between her hands and offered it to the former Queen with a smile.  
“Your Majesty.”  
Regina smiled back, knowing Emma had meant it as a term of fondness. She took a mouthful of the tea, found it to be tasty and took another.  
She passed the can back to her blonde haired saviour and said, “It’s quite good.”  
“Thanks.”  
They listened to the sound of birds call to each other and the fire popping as they shared the can between them. When all the tea was gone, Emma stood.  
“I’m going to get more water and get it boiling. We need water more than food to stay alive. While I’m doing that, do you think you could look for vines that we can twist together as a rope?”  
Regina nodded. “Be careful. Between us, you’re the only one that knows how to do all this.”  
Emma nodded. “I know, but this won’t be permanent. We’ll get out of here and back to civilization, and then somehow, home.”  
Regina nodded and turned towards the forest.  
“Regina? You be careful too. No matter what you might think, I need you too.” Emma turned toward the river quickly to hide the blush she felt spreading.  
“You do?” Regina whispered.

To Be Continued


	3. Manipulative Pawns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our two leading ladies settle in for the night and start to get to know each other better. No, not like that. Yet. Get your minds out of the gutters.

Underneath The Surface  
Chapter 3- Manipulative Pawns

**In which our two leading ladies settle in for the night and start to get to know each other better. No, not like that. Yet. Get your minds out of the gutters.**

While Regina scoured the nearby forest for vines, Emma looked around for two trees that were fairly straight, close to their fire, and had natural forks made by branches. Because she didn’t want to go too far away, her choices were limited, but eventually she settled on two likely looking prospects. She nodded to herself, then set about finding a dead tree she could use as a transverse pole. As she searched, she made sure to keep Regina in sight as well. Their current situation was bad enough, they didn’t need to get separated to make matters worse. 

Emma finally found a downed tree that was the right thickness, all it needed was the bark removed. She dragged it back just as Regina came up with a handful of vines.  
“How did you do?” Emma asked as she pulled bark off and set it to the side.  
“These look like our morning glory vines, and they can be rather tough, so I thought they would suffice.” Regina showed Emma what she had found.  
Emma looked them over and nodded. “Perfect.”  
“What do we do now?”  
“We need to take all the bark off this tree, break off the smaller branches. See these two trees behind me? We’re going to take this tree and set it in those forks there,” Emma pointed. “And create a cross-pole.”  
“Should we braid some of these vines together?”  
Emma nodded and smiled. “You’re getting it now.”  
With the fallen tree de-barked, they set to work braiding the vines together to make rope. Then they set the transverse pole in the forks.  
“Now what?” Regina asked.

“We need to find trees or long branches that will stretch from this cross pole down to the ground. We may have to break some off trees if we can’t find any deadfall. The more the better.”  
Regina nodded.  
Emma shot her a look. “You’re awfully quiet.”  
“I am ... concerned.”  
Emma went to where her companion was standing and put a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get through this, Regina, we’ll be okay. We have no idea exactly where we are, but we’ll figure it out. We won’t starve, and we’ll sleep out of the elements tonight. We take one day at a time, ok?”  
Regina’s brow was still furrowed, but she nodded.  
Following impulse yet again, Emma leaned forward and hugged Regina, relieved when the other woman wrapped her arms around her as well.

They stayed that way for a minute, comfortable in each other’s embrace. Emma was hesitant to speak, in case her words would somehow ruin the mood, but she knew it had to be said. “Eventually, we are going to have to talk about those kisses, you know.”  
She felt Regina nod. “I’m glad that if I have to go through this situation with anyone, it will be you.”  
Emma chuckled into Regina’s shoulder. “I’m kinda the reason we’re here, remember? It was my screw up.”  
The other woman pulled back a little, but kept her hands on Emma’s shoulders. “Don’t tell anyone this, but when I was still learning, I made my share of magical mistakes too. When we get home, remind me to tell you about the barn-rat. Mistakes are our way of learning, Dear. Always remember that.” Regina studied Emma for a long minute, then brushed her thumb over a section of Emma’s eyebrow. “I’m very glad, indeed. Shall we get back to it then?”  
Emma cast a quick look overhead. “Yeah, we should. It’s already afternoon.”

While they cast about for deadfall that was the right size for their purposes, Regina asked, “I find it hard to believe that one family taught you all this in one weekend.”  
Emma gave a shrug. “They were the ones that started it all. A couple of homes later, there was another foster kid, a teenaged boy, that liked to spend time in the ravine the house backed on to. He taught me all kinds of stuff. How to build this shelter, how to catch fish, how to eat off the land...” Emma let out a chuckle. “And how to avoid being seen by foster parents and workers.”  
“You sound as if that’s a fond memory.” Regina observed.  
“In a lot of ways, I felt safer with him than anyone else. I was the only one he told he secrets to, because I understood the code better than a lot of kids in the system.”  
“The code?”  
“Kids that moved around a lot learn not to put down roots, we learn not to trust and not to betray other foster kids secrets, especially if it’s going to hurt their chances of staying in a forever home.”  
“Hence your track record of not staying in one place too long.” Regina commented as they dragged two fallen saplings back beside the fire.  
“Exactly.”

“We’ll need two or three more like this, I think.” Emma brushed her hands off and they moved back into the trees. “One day he was showing me how to get water when there was no river and I told him I felt safe with him but I didn’t know why. He looked at me for a long time and asked if I could keep a secret. When I nodded, he told me why I felt so safe with him.”  
“You were too young for him?”  
“No, he was gay.”  
“I see.”  
“I was so relieved, I couldn’t have cared if he was attracted to a three-headed, purple giraffe.”  
“A what?” Regina gave her a curious look.  
Emma laughed. “It doesn’t matter. Anyway, I never revealed his secret to the foster family, and in return, he showed me how to live out in the woods. Which came in really handy a couple of months later.” Her voice trailed off.  
Regina spotted a likely looking tree that was leaning against a live one. “Here’s one!” When Emma had reached her side, the brunette asked, “I thought you said he wasn’t interested?”  
“He wasn’t, but the foster father was. I fought him off as best I could, but he just smacked me around and took what he wanted anyway. I went to Jerod, asked him for advice, he told me to talk to the foster mom. So I did.”  
“What did she do?”  
“Told me that the old man wouldn’t have smacked me around if I’d co-operated.”  
Regina dropped the end she was carrying and spun around. “She said THAT?”  
“Ooof! Regina!” Emma was forced to drop the butt end of the tree.  
“Sorry.” Regina looked sheepish and picked up her end again.   
Emma shrugged one shoulder and tucked the butt of the tree under one arm. “So I wrote a note to Jerod explaining why I was leaving, thanked him for all his help, swiped a bag, filled it and left.”  
They carried the tree back to lay beside the others, put it down and turned back to the woods.  
“Wait.” Regina reached out and took Emma’s arm. “I owe you an apology for some of the horrible things I’ve said to you about not having roots or a life. I’m sorry, Emma, I had no idea. It’s a miracle you don’t hate me.”  
“I don’t hate you, Regina. You couldn’t have known. I’ve never even told Mary...Snow. Every time she looks at me she looks as though she’s going to cry. If she knew about any of what happened to me...”  
“Be that as it may, you can trust me.” Regina stepped in front of her blonde companion. “I mean it, Emma. I may not have grown up in your world, with your rules and codes, but I do know what it’s like to have secrets and be surrounded by people with their own agenda.”

Emma stood and studied the other woman silently. “I know. I’ve always known there was something different about you, even when I didn’t believe Henry about the curse and who he claimed you were.”  
“Who I was. I truly was an evil queen, my dear. You know that now.”  
“That’s who you were partly because you were forced into it, but that’s not all of who you were.”  
Regina’s head cocked slightly. “What do you mean?”  
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.” Emma lifted her chin in the direction of another fallen tree, indicating they should sit. “There was one person at the core of a lot of hurt in Fairy Tale Land. Think about it, Rumple taught your mother how to spin straw into gold. He taught her magic, he taught her how to be cruel by teaching her how to rip out hearts, including her own. He taught her how to hurt people, including you. He manipulated events so you would need him, so he could teach you magic just as he had your mother. You told me once you taught yourself healing magic, not him. Rumple created the curse, and he wrote in clauses that covered his ass. He made deals with people for his own twisted gains and if someone got hurt in the process, all the better. He has been at the core of a butt-load of hurt. You were a pawn, just as I have been, just as a lot of people have been. Yes, you’ve ripped out hearts and killed people, but while I acknowledge that side of you, I also see the caring side more often. I see the woman who saved her enemy and her son’s mother, just to prove to that son that she could be good.” Emma rose off the log and faced Regina now. “I see the woman who has spent over a decade loving a little boy the best way she knew how. I see a woman that has proven time and again that she is capable of love. I see the good in you, Regina. Under that Evil Queen persona you wear, there is a warm woman who wants to be loved, but you have just as many walls as I do, Ms. Mills. You have had love in front of you for a long time now, I just don’t think you knew how to love another adult after Daniel.”  
“I have, have I, Miss Swan?” Regina’s eyes were bright with emotion.  
“Yes, you have. And it’s time we both learned how to lower our walls and let the other one in.” Emma leaned forward, kissed Regina on the cheek and walked back into the forest.

To Be Continued


	4. Walk On Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Regina and Emma try and make the best of an unfamiliar situation.

**_Underneath The Surface_ **

**_Chapter 4 - Walk On Water_ **

 

Regina could only sit on the fallen tree, stunned. It had been so long since anyone had treated her this way, given her any sense of caring, of hope, she hardly knew how to handle the situation. She had always prided herself on remaining in control of any situation, in the bedroom or out of it. Here though, she was not in control and barely knew what would happen from one minute to the next, let alone know how to deal with her feelings for Emma. She felt tears burn their way to the surface, and normally she would fight them back, but there was no one else to see them here. No one but the blonde woman she was quickly coming to care for. So the formal Evil Queen let the tears come and course a path down her dirty cheeks.

She wept not only because she was unaccustomed to having anyone care for her, besides Henry, but also for the sheer joy of still being able to care for anyone else. Despite having her heart firmly in her chest, some days she thought her mother had the right idea when she took hers out.

She wept because those very walls Emma had mentioned had protected her so long, she hardly knew who she was without them, and she was afraid of the truth.

 

Regina eventually got her emotions under control, and sat on the log sniffling when a hand reached from behind and offered her a folded, red bandana.

“I know it’s not a handkerchief, but it’s clean.”

Regina turned and accepted Emma’s offering. “Thank you.”

“You feeling a little better?” Emma sat on the log beside her, close enough their arms were touching.

Regina nodded and sighed. “Lighter, I suppose.”

“Think you can give me a hand with a couple more saplings?”

The brunette nodded, dabbed at her eyes and nose and rose to meet this next challenge. By the time she turned to face Emma, she looked more in control than she had since they had arrived.

 

It didn’t take too long to lash the saplings to the cross pole with Regina’s vine-ropes. Then they wove smaller saplings and sturdy, stripped branches in between.

“Now we need to break off pine boughs and lay them down so they act like shingles on a roof, with all the needles sloping down so the rain runs off.” Emma demonstrated what she meant with a pine bough she’d brought over. “The more boughs we can do that with, the drier we’ll be, and it’s getting cloudy, so we have no time to waste.”

Regina nodded and wordlessly went about breaking pine boughs off various trees. They had formed a sizeable pile when Emma started tucking and arranging pine boughs to form a roof. Regina watched and marvelled at how quickly their green roof took shape. Emma knew exactly where to weave this one and tuck that one so that by the time she was done, the bough-roof was almost a foot thick and nothing looked like it would blow away.

 

“In an ideal situation,” she grunted a little as she wiggled into their shelter and looked up at the greenery for any holes, “We’d have a properly equipped pack, survival food, tarps and matches. But in this case...” Emma shimmied out. 

“In this case we have you.” Regina came to stand beside Emma and gently shoulder-bumped her. “Henry was right you know... you really are a saviour.”

Emma looked at the ground, red faced.

“You’re _my_ saviour.”

All sorts of rebuttals crossed Emma’s mind, but she said none of them. She just stood there and blushed some more. “I saw some berries...back there...I think I’m going to collect them and see if I can’t find some more stuff to make a broth with. Can you keep the fire going?”

Regina straightened to her full height and let an imperious look settle on her features. “If I can run a town for twenty eight years, I’m fairly certain I can keep a fire going.” Regina gave a small smile to show Emma she wasn’t too serious and turned to the woodpile.

 

Regina filled the juice can in the stream again and set it at the side of the fire, maneuvering some of the embers closer to the can so the water would boil. She could barely hear Emma foraging out in the woods behind her, but she knew there was no reason to worry, the other woman was smart enough not to go too far. Regina took the time to find the downed tree they had been sitting on earlier and drag it back to the fire for them to sit on. Sitting on the log and keeping the fire fed gave her time to study her surroundings. They were at the edge of a stream that ran beside a forest, which she already knew, but as she sat there, she could hear a variety of birds calling out to one another. She was slightly surprised to find she recognized a few of them, and wondered how similar this place was to the Enchanted Forest.

She sighed and wondered where this place was.

 

As Regina tended the fire, Emma searched for wild plants that she could use in a broth. Reaching into an inside jacket pocket, she brought out another clean bandana. She collected the berries she recognized were edible and left the ones she didn’t know. Luckily for them, blueberries, Saskatoon berries and raspberries were plentiful here.

Emma straightened her back and looked around to be sure she could still see Regina.

She too, wondered where they were.

As she bent again, she spotted a broadleaf plantain plant and plucked it from the forest floor. It, and it’s neighbours, would go into the tomato juice can and provide them with some nourishment. After picking a few handfuls more of blueberries, she spotted a few scraggly mallow plants, and quickly pulled some leaves off. When she spied some dandelions, she dug her knife out of her pocket and dug and pulled until she had a pile of plants, including the stubborn taproots, set beside her. She stuffed those into her pocket as best she could and slowly made her way back to their little campsite, keeping her eyes on the ground in case she spotted any more edibles.

 

When Emma came into the camp, such as it was, she gave Regina a small smile. “I found some plants to make a broth with. It may not taste as good as your onion soup, but it will keep us alive.”

Regina nodded. “I think the water has been boiling for a couple of minutes now.”

“Good. I’m pretty sure neither of us wants to get anything from the water. Oh, I got us some berries.” Emma held the bandana out for Regina, who raised one eyebrow.

“How many of these do you carry?”

“Usually two. One in case I come across evidence I don’t want to touch and one in case I get the sniffles or something.” As Regina bent to wash the berries in the stream, Emma continued. “Jerod used to carry a film canister in his pocket that had a length of fishing line and two hooks. He was prepared for anything, that kid. But he had stashes of supplies all through the ravine.” She set to the task of cleaning and preparing the plants for the water. “ Now if _he_ were here right now, you’d think you were in a well-supplied, rustic hotel.”

Regina handed Emma the now-washed berries and said, “For all that, I’m glad you’re here.”

Emma gave her companion a tight smile and bent her head to her task, intent on not cutting off a finger. “I’m notall that special, you know. I can’t walk on water or anything. I’m just me, using the knowledge I have to keep us alive.”

Regina shot her a look that made it plain the brunette did not believe her.

 

When the water had boiled long enough, the various roots and leaves were dropped into it and let steep. Emma used the sleeve of her jacket again to protect her hand and carefully carried the can so it sat on the ground between them. While it cooled, they shared the berries from the bandana. Wordlessly they consumed their small lunch of berries and plant broth, until it was all gone. Then Emma rose and stretched.

“Good thing we ate before I zapped us here. Wherever here is... I ...uh... I’m gonna go find a bush. When I get back we’ll have to rig something so we don’t sleep on the ground.”

Regina nodded and watched the fire as she listened to her walk a short distance away and unzip her pants.

“I would have figured you for a button fly kind of woman, Emma.” she called out.

“Yeah, some of my jeans are, I guess.” 

“So, what are we going to construct for beds?” Regina called back.

“Well, if we were going to stay any length of time, I would rig proper beds for us, but if the weather holds, I’d like to move on in the morning, try and figure out where we are. I think...” Regina heard the sound of the zipper being pulled back up. “I think that road I saw not too far off is key to that.” Emma came back into the campsite now. “The light is going to start to fade pretty quick, we’d better get moving. I think our best bet is a big pile of pine boughs to keep us off the ground. We’ll have to sleep close for body heat since we have no blanket. It’s not a cold time of year and we can pull more boughs over us. You okay with that?”

“Better than being completely exposed to the elements.” Regina gave a sharp nod and followed Emma.

 

The two of them worked together without conversation and soon had an impressive pile of boughs waiting beside the lean-to. Emma turned back to the woods and saw a promising dying birch that was shedding thick sheets of bark, so when she pulled some of them off, Regina came and followed suit.

“Okay, we take them back, carry as many as we can in one trip, lay these on the ground first...” They were back at the lean-to and Emma knelt by the opening and laid the bark sheets in. “Then we cover them with almost all the boughs we collected. Leave some close by though so we can cover ourselves with them.”

It didn’t look like much, Regina thought, but it was better than trying to sleep in a tree.

 

They boiled more water, set more wood on the fire andsat on the log until it was obvious the day was waning. Regina shook the red bandana out and carefully eased the tin out of the embers. “I expect we’ll want to ration this during the night?” she asked.

“Yup. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have to trip around out there in the dark looking for a bush.”

 

They sat on the log and watched the forest get darker. The glow from the fire cast dancing shadows, and Regina watched Emma chew on her bottom lip. A sure sign she was mulling something over.

“Penny for your thoughts, Miss Swan?”

“You’re probably going to think it’s a ridiculous thing to be worried about now...”

Regina waited.

“You and I both know our relationship is changing. Not just here, it was back in Storybrooke too. There’s less...” Emma pondered the right word to use.

“Animosity?”

“Yeah. Here, we’ve alreadystarted to lean on each other more, and ...”

“Those kisses are what’s bothering you.”

“Yeah, but not in the way you think.” Emma got up and shifted a larger log into the flames. “I’ve been attracted to you almost from the beginning, I still am. Every day I see more and more to _be_ attracted to. Here, you’re letting your guard down, and that’s great. But what happens when we get home? Are you going to go back to who you were? Because I can’t do that, Regina. I can’t turn my feelings on and off like a light switch.”

Emma fell silent then as she sat a respectful distance away on the log.

 

Regina watched Emma with dark eyes. She knew all too well the pain of reaching out emotionally and being rejected. She got up and moved closer to the blonde, sat down beside her and took her right hand. “Emma, you’ve changed me, everything that’s happened since you came into my life has changed me. Here, with no one else around, it’s easier to let my guard down. There are no expectations that I’m going to rip a heart out, no one that remembers how I was before the curse. I can be ... who I was supposed to be... I think. I can’t imagine how we’re going to get home, but I can tell you that I will try very hard not to shut you out when we get there. I will try to not settle back into old patterns.” Regina looked from their interlaced fingers to Emma’s face. “But honestly, I might need a friend to remind me of that from time to time.”

Emma turned and studied the sincerity in Regina’s brown eyes. “I can do that. And if we end up being more than friends, then that’s okay too.”

Regina settled her head on Emma’s shoulder and they watched the fire together.

 

The next morning, Regina woke up alone in the little lean-to. At first she was startled, but then she remembered that Emma had drank more water than she had the day before. She shimmied out into the open air and readjusted her clothing. She hated that she had to sleep in them. On a whim, she flexed her fingers once more and willed the magic to the surface.

There was only a slight current and it moved sluggishly.

Regina scowled.

“Still nothing?” Emma came into view carrying more green things.

“I’m afraid not. Only something that might have been pins and needles from sleeping on branches. How did you sleep?”

“Not much. I kept the fire going, worried about every sound I heard and kept watch over you.” Emma didn’t mention the times she had looked out to see firelight reflected in eyes.

“Thank you.”

Emma shrugged. “I brought peppermint back, for tea, and more of that plantain, and berries. Once we’ve finished those, we’ll douse the fire and head out.”

“And the lean-to?”

“We’ll leave that as is. You never know who, or what, might need it.” Emma thought again about those eyes she had seen in the dark.

 

Their breakfast didn’t take long to consume, and soon enough Emma was dousing the fire and stirring the embers with a long stick. She repeated the procedure a couple times more until she was sure there was no more heat coming from the soggy mass. She straightened up and took a look around. She saw Regina had tucked the empty juice can under her arm and nodded at it. “Good idea. Okay, so the sun is over there, that’s east. The road was to the west of the stream, so we head out with the sun to our backs. You ready?”

Regina nodded and they set out to find some form of civilization.

 

 


	5. Drowning In Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina and Emma find a way out of the woods, discuss logistics of their situation and find temporary salvation.

**_Underneath The Surface_** **_Chapter 5_ **

**_Drowning In Myself_ **

 

** ** _Author’s Note: I sincerely believe that in the woods near my home, there rests a great many wrecks lost to time. Emma’s explanation came from spotting such a wreck deep in a ravine. The Muse and I welcome reviews, and word of mouth if you like it, of course_ ** **

 

 

“You know, nothing in my upbringing prepared me for this.”

“Trekking through the woods looking for a road?”

“Being lost in some unknown place with nothing but the clothes on my back and a juice can.”

Emma chuckled. “They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Consider this a character building exercise.” She waited for Regina to grumble under her breath, but the griping never came. Either Regina was bitching mentally or was considering Emma’s words.

“The trees are thinning out.” The brunette said at last.

Emma nodded her agreement. The weather was fair, sunny and a little warm, and it would make for easy walking, but she wondered to herself how they would fare from one day to the next. They didn’t have to walk too far when Regina gave a little cry and bolted ahead.

Emma smiled to herself. Regina must have spotted the road.

 

They stood in the middle of the dirt road, in the sun, looking first one way, then the other. 

Regina looked down and then back up at Emma and smiled. “Well, we have a better chance of getting somewhere now. Look down.”

Emma looked down and saw two fresh, clear tire tracks.A slow smile crossed her face. “That’s awesome!” She bent and studied the tread pattern. “Well, at least we aren’t somewhere medieval. But this doesn’t tell us which way civilization is.”

Regina looked first one way down the road for a long minute, and then the other way just as long.

“Well, the tire track might not,” she said as she began to walk, “But perhaps that sign down there will.”

Emma squinted in the direction Regina was walking. “Sign? What sign?”

Not getting any answer, Emma sighed and followed along.

 

A minute later, they stood side by side studying a sign that read, ‘Desperation Lake, 20m’

“All is not lost, Miss Swan.” Regina turned a dazzling smile on Emma, and resumed walking.

Emma sighed with some relief. At least they wouldn’t have to spend too long out in the woods. Encouraged by the nearly new look of the sign, she felt herself begin to hope they might get out of their predicament yet.

“Have you considered the fact that once we do meet someone, they’re going to want to know why two women are out here with only the clothes on their backs and a juice can?”

Regina stopped and looked back. “That’s true. What do you suggest?”

“We were hiking and got lost?”

“Emma, who goes hiking dressed like this?” Regina gestured at herself.

“Good point.” Emma mumbled as they continued to walk.

The two women walked in silence, watchful of the woods that surrounded them.

“We were out for a drive and we crashed the car?”

“Might I remind you, I have no purse, no money and no identification.”

Emma stopped and stuck her hands in her back pockets Well, tried to.

“You might not, but I do.”

Regina stopped suddenly and stared at her companion. “I beg your pardon?”

Emma pulled her wallet out of her back left pocket and smiled.

“My license says I live in Boston.” Upon seeing Regina’s less than thrilled look, she shrugged. “I just never got it changed. Didn’t seem necessary in a town no one could get in or out of. Anyway, as long as Desperation takes debit and credit cards, we’ll be ok.”

“That still does not supply us with a credible story why we are without belongings.”

“Sure it does. We were travelling from Boston, hoping to find a motel or something when I got sleepy, drove off the road and hit a tree. The car burst into flames shortly after we got out of the wreck.”

Regina considered the lie for a moment. “And when someone offers to go and retrieve your beloved car?”

Emma affected a sheepish look. “We’ve been wandering in circles for days, totally lost track of where the car is now.”

Regina’s face took an a disbelieving grimace. 

“What? People used to go down in planes all the time and the wrecks weren’t found until decades later. With all these trees, it’s completely believable!”

Regina gave a small head shake and resumed strolling. “I can’t think of one reason why it would work, but we’ll go with your suggestion.”

 

They walked along in silence for a few minutes more when Regina asked, “Where were we going?”

“Just out to see the country.”

Regina nodded vaguely but said nothing.

They had walked about a half hour more when she took off her jacket. “Are we using our real names?”

Emma slid her jacket off as well. “Why not? We’re not hiding. We’re trying to get home.”

“You do remember that I hid Storybrooke very well. No one here may even know of it’s existence.”

“Sounds like you’re trying to offer up excuses, Madame Mayor.” Emma felt a small flare of irritation.

“Merely trying to be realistic, Miss Swan.” Regina offered as Emma stomped by her.

They walked along with Emma angrily striding along five feet ahead of Regina, who was getting more confused with every step.

 

After an hour of this, Regina called out. “Emma? Perhaps we could take a break?”

Emma kept walking. “Another hour, Regina! We need to keep walking.”

Now it was Regina’s turn to sigh and trail along behind.

By the time an hour had passed, Regina was thirsty, hungry, footsore and tired. She was about to ask Emma for a break when the blonde stopped and rubbed the back of her neck. When Regina had drawn close, Emma turned to her.

“Regina, look, I’m sorry I snapped at you. It’s not your fault, it’s mine. It’s just really hard for me to be positive all the time. I guess I’m naturally pessimistic or something...”

Regina cut off the flow of words with a kiss that left no doubt how she felt.

“Emma,” she whispered. “It’s all right. Despite my track record, I can be optimistic enough for both of us. I understand the pressure you’re under. It’s okay.”

“You can? You do?”

Regina smiled. “Yes. To both. But I desperately need a rest. I don’t suppose you have any berries you’ve picked along the way, do you?”

“Here, come sit in the shade over here.” Emma took Regina’s arm and steered her into a patch of shade at the roadside. “You rest here, there’s some berries just down and across the road. I’ll be right back.”

 

While Emma went to pick berries, Regina found a flat spot on the ground and lowered herself down. She eased her shoes off and massaged her feet, all the while wondering how she might access her own bank account once they reached a town. She pondered the name of the town they were trying to reach and chuckled. ‘Desperation Lake’. It fit their situation pretty aptly. She tried flexing her fingers again and was disappointed to have no better results than the last time she’d tried to tap into her magic. She tried to remember all that she had ever learned about the unreliability of magic in other worlds, but that had been Jefferson’s forte, not hers. Until they got to Desperation Lake, they would know very little about where they were in relation to Storybrooke, how to access magic and how to get home.

 

As Reginathought about all this, Emma had come back with berries. “If you’d like, I can do that for you.”

Regina smiled. “I’d like that, thank you.”

Emma sat down, set the berry-filled bandana on the ground and began to massage Regina’s feet. 

It didn’t take long for a once evil queen to moan in pleasure. 

Emma only chuckled and thought of the many ways she could make Regina moan, but said nothing. Regina’s head was down, her eyes were closed and she was so totally lost in the moment that she seemed to have forgotten she was thirsty.

Emma cleared her throat. “I didn’t see any water, but the berries will help with your thirst.”

Regina’s eyes opened and she raised her head. “Berries, yes, thank you. My mind was elsewhere.”

Emma chuckled and wondered if they had been thinking about the same thing.

Regina popped a few berries into her mouth and chewed. She was very sure she hadn’t enjoyed any foot massage as much as she was enjoying this one. She took a plump purple berry in her fingers and held it out. “Open up.”

Emma looked up in surprise, saw the offered berry and opened her mouth. She felt the berry hit her tongue, but she quickly wrapped her lips around a slender finger and sucked on it, just a little bit.

 

Regina’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed bright red, but she made no move to regain her finger. Emma slid her tongue tenderly around the digit and held Regina’s gaze intently. Finally, she released her finger and licked her lips.

“Delicious, thank you.” 

Regina couldn’t be a hundred percent sure Emma was referring to the berry. 

She dropped her gaze and studied the ground. Once she was sure she had gotten her blush under control, she looked up again to find Emma studying her. She held out two berries this time, which were taken without sexual innuendo, and ate two more herself.

They shared the berries while Emma massaged first one foot and then the other. When Emma laid down on the ground beside her, Regina put her shoes back on and asked, “How are your feet?”

“Meh. They’re okay. I’m used to being on them.” Emma threw an arm across her eyes. Regina followed her example.

They rested in the shade that way without any further conversation.

 

There was no telling how long they had been there when Regina’s ears picked up a new sound. A grinding of gravel, with a droning sound...

“Emma?” Regina reached out blindly and made contact with Emma’s thigh. When there was no response, it was clear the blonde had nodded off.

“Emma! I think someone’s coming!”

The blonde was on her feet in a flash, listening. After a few moments, she agreed. “I think you’re right!” She put her jacket back on and stepped out onto the road.

By the time Regina had regained her feet, they could see a plume of dust moving down the road toward them. 

By the time she had stepped onto the road, Regina could make out a pick-up truck at the head of the dust plume.

Emma flagged down the truck and they both watched as it coasted to a stop in front of them.

 

Ithad definitely seen better days. It was dented and various shades of grey, with a little green showing through here and there. A woman was behind the wheel, she looked like she had seen better days too. Her hair was long and the shade of dusty soil, but her eyes were a clear blue. Her face was mapped by lines and crows feet and she sported a ready smile. She leaned toward the passenger window and said, “You two are a long way from nowhere! Lost?”

“We’re trying to get into town.” Emma explained, without preamble.

The other woman waved an arm. “Well, it’s tight, but climb in, I’m going into town myself.”

Emma turned to Regina and held out a hand.

 

Emma slid in first, knowing how Regina felt about strangers in her personal space. Once Regina had climbed in and shut the door, the driver held out a hand. “My name’s Cam.”

Emma introduced herself and Regina, they all shook hands and Emma thanked her for stopping.

“Oh, no worries.” Cam put the truck in drive and they started off down the road. “Like I said, you two are a long way from nowhere. How in the hell did you get all the way out here?”

“We were driving ‘cross country, I fell asleep behind the wheel.” Emma lifted her hands and let them fall on her lap.

“For the love of fudge, how long you ladies been out there?!” Cam exclaimed.

“Days.” Emma said simply.

“There’s water in the glove compartment there, grab one for each of you. We’ll be in town soon enough.”

Regina leaned forward, retrieved the water and gave the first one to Emma. Then she got one for herself. It tasted so sweet she drained it as greedily as a frat boy might drain a beer stein at a party.

Cam kept one eye on the road and studied her passengers out of the corner of her eye. They were too well dressed to be from anywhere nearby, and she considered asking them where they driven from, but she kept her curiosity to herself. It was none of her business. She made small talk instead.

 

“It’s such a nice day, I decided to go berry picking. I pick ‘em and sell ‘em to the diner, for pies and whatever, you know.”

Emma nodded in response.

Cam noticed the brunette still hadn’t said a word.

“It’s getting close to hunting season. Someone at the store said they saw a bear the other day while they were getting some wood in for the winter. You two are lucky you didn’t run into any. Especially with the berries being so plentiful this season.”

“We had some...the berries...they’re pretty sweet.” Emma said.

Regina sat quietly and tried to hang on while they bounced over the rough road. 

“Anywhere in particular you need me to drop you in town?” Cam asked, hoping to get more information from the strangers.

“Somewhere to stay, I guess.” Emma answered.

“I can drop you off at Lavender Lane, then. Patty will set you up with a room and whatever you need after that.”

“You have a motel in town?”

“A bed & breakfast, really, but Patty’s good people. She’ll do right by you and your friend.”

Emma drank some more water as best she could and tried not to lose it all over her lap. She saved the last mouthful for Regina and passed the bottle to her without comment. Regina lifted one eyebrow at the thought of sharing a water bottle, but she was still so thirsty thatshe ignored all thought of germs and drank the water.

 

Cam saw the gesture and thought it interesting. Either the blonde was generous to a fault, or these two were more than friends. The brunette still hadn’t spoken.

 

After a half an hour’s drive, they began to see houses and barns that looked like they might belong anywhere. Regina began to put the various pieces of information together and came to the conclusion that they were at least going somewhere similar to Storybrooke. The thought was both comforting andtroubling. Comforting because they would be somewhere fairly modern, troubling because this generally led to many questions. When they passed a sign that read ‘Desperation Lake, pop 500’, Emma let out a sigh. 

They had stayed alive in the woods. Now all they had to do was figure out where they were, and get home.

 

Soon, they were travelling through a small town that might have passed for Storybrooke. 

“That’s the store,” Cam was pointing. “The General Store may not look like much, but it has our post office, sells us our liquor and booze as well as worms and some groceries. And across the street is Karen’s Yarn & Yards shop. She sells fabric, yarn, hobby stuff I guess. Don’t know how good a business she does. There’s Big Mike’s garage. He can set you up with a tow for your car, or a rental of a beater if you need that. And over there,” Cam pointed to a weathered building on the corner, “That’s the Sneezing Moose. Our diner, pub and community gossiping place. Lots of folks sit on the porch there just to visit.” She honked the horn and waved in the direction of the porch. All of it’s occupants waved back. Two minutes more travel, and Cam was slowing the truck and steering into a driveway.

 

The house at the end of the drive was a tall, pale yellow farmhouse with a neat front yard. 

“Here we go, Lavender Lane B&B. You just go ahead and knock on the front door, and tell Patty I brought you in. She’ll treat you right. Good luck with the rest of your adventure.”

“Thanks for picking us up, we appreciate it.” Emma reached out and shook the woman’s hand. 

Regina nodded once and opened the door, having never said a word the whole time.

Once they stood in the driveway, Cam accelerated and drove away.

Emma turned to Regina and said, “Well, at least we won’t be spending the night outdoors. Let’s go see about the rest of our adventure!”

 


	6. Holding Her Breath

_** Underneath The Surface ** _

_** Chapter 6 ** _

_** Holding Her Breath ** _

 

Regina tried to smooth the wrinkles from her slacks, but it was a futile effort. The only thing that would help her clothes was what her body needed as well.

A good washing and rest.

Emma saw the motion and knew that it was as much Regina’s desire to look as good as possible as it was a nervous habit. “Well, let’s go knock.”

Emma strode the rest of the way to the wide, white steps trusting Regina would be right behind her. She knocked, hoping someone was home.

 

They didn’t wait long before the door was answered by a teenaged girl, clad only in denim cut-offs and a white t-shirt.

“Hi, Cam dropped us off here, said we could find a room?”

“Sure, come in and I’ll get my mom.” The girl stepped aside and opened the door wider. “MOM!”

Regina winced at the girl’s unladylike bellow, but said nothing. Emma shut the door behind them and turned in time to see a woman come down the stairs. 

When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she held out a hand. “Hi, I’m Patty and this is my daughter, Callie.”

Emma introduced Regina and then herself and explained that Cam had dropped them off. Callie mumbled something about a drawing and retreated to another room.

“So you say Cam dropped you off? Just like her to not even come in to say hello, the lout.” Patty smiled and led them into a sitting room. “I only have one room available right now, due to it being bear season. It’s a fair size, but it’s only a queen sized bed, I’m afraid.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Regina smiled.

Emma looked at her companion and blinked.

“How did you find Cam? Would you like some iced tea? You must be thirsty.”

They agreed, and Patty hustled into the kitchen before Emma could answer her question.

When she came back, she brought a tray that held three large, frosted glasses. “I hope you like it, I made blackberry iced tea on a whim this morning.”

Emma took a glass and passed it to Regina first, then took one for herself. “It smells great, thank you. Cam found us wandering around out in the woods. We were travelling cross country, but I’m afraid I fell asleep and hit a tree. The car bounced and wrapped itself around another tree. We barely had time to get out before it went up in flames.” Emma lied and looked at the floor.

“That’s horrible!” Patty exclaimed. “Are you both all right? How long were you out there?”

“We’re fine, but we were wandering out there for days. In fact, I’m not even sure what today is...” Regina added.

 

“It’s Tuesday, at 2 in the afternoon. So everything you had...”

“Is gone. So I’m afraid we’ve arrived with just what we’re wearing.” Emma wondered if she would have to account for her lies later in life, but she was very sure no one here was ready for the truth. “We have money, and my bank card, but...”

Patty was waving off Emma’s faltering explanation. “Don’t worry about that right now. You ladies must be exhausted. I’ll show you to your room. Rest, and then we’ll worry about the rest of it later.” She noticed both of them had already finished their tea. “Would you like more tea to take upstairs with you?”

Regina smiled that thousand watt smile that Emma loved so much and held out her glass. “Yes, please.”

 

Regina looked around as they were shown to their room. The staircase was solid wood, with a sturdy wooden bannister to match. The walls were wood panelling half way up, a soft butter yellow above, and a wooden trim that matched the stairs. There were windows everywhere, all covered over in the same drapery, a light and summery print that looked it belonged in Granny’s B&B. All of the windows were open to let in the summer breeze, and the smell of cinnamon came from somewhere within the house. Finally they came to the top of the stairs, and here Patty turned right. She stopped at a solid looking wooden door. “This is your room, Callie is across the hall. Mine is on the main floor. It locks, for privacy, here’s the key.” She handed it to Regina, who smiled her thanks. “You have your own bathroom with a shower. Towels are in there as well. I’ll let you ladies rest. Just come find me if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” They both said together.

As Patty went back down the stairs, Regina unlocked their room.

 

It was much like what they had seen of the house, warm wood and butter yellow walls, though the drapery here was a little heavier and darker. The furniture was cherry wood, and all a matching set. The bed was a massive four poster, and very comfortable. There was a white wicker chair and a matching desk along one wall, and a dresser along the opposite wall. Emma sat in the chair and took her boots and leather jacket off. “I need to wash some of this dirt off me. Ugh.” Emma glanced at Regina, who was also taking off her boots. “So you’re okay with us sleeping together?” She found herself holding her breath while she waited for a sarcastic comeback.

They both ignored the unspoken innuendo.

“Afraid I’ll bite, Emma?’

“Should I be?” 

Regina only chuckled in response.

By the time Emma emerged from the bathroom, feeling a little cleaner, Regina had removed her jacket as well, laid down on the bed and was fast asleep. Emma shrugged, laid down beside the former mayor and was asleep soon after.

 

A light rapping startled Emma awake and it took her a couple of breaths to remember where she was. When she realized someone was knocking at the door, she swung her legs off the bed and went to answer it. Patty stood on the other side.

“Emma, I’m sure you ladies must be hungry, and I have dinner almost ready. You’re both welcome to join us if you’d like. There is a diner down the road if you’d rather not...”

Emma shook her head. “We’d love to, thanks!”

Patty smiled. “That’s great, it’ll be ready in about ten minutes. At the bottom of the stairs, turn left and follow the hallway all the way to the back, then right.”

“We’ll be there, thank you.’

Just as Emma was closing the door, Regina sat up. “I thought I heard voices.”

“Patty invited us down for dinner, thought we might be hungry.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“She said ten minutes, so you have time to freshen up or whatever.”

Regina nodded and went to wash up.

 

They cleaned up as best they could and followed the directions to the dining room. Callie was pouring water as they came into the room and from the other direction, Patty came in bearing a large, steaming dish.

“I hope you ladies like lasagne!”

Regina gave a small chuckle under her breath. “We do, thank you.”

“Grab a seat anywhere you like.”

Emma took a chair at the opposite end of the table from their hostess and Regina took the chair on Emma’s right.

Salad was passed around, followed by the lasagne and a frosted pitcher of iced tea. Emma knew there would be questions, and while she ate, she pondered how to best answer. Thankfully, Regina took control of the conversation right away.

“Is there some sort of mercantile in town where we might replace our clothing?”

 

It was Callie who answered. “A couple of buildings past the Sneezing Moose is the BuyWay store. There’s not a lot that’s cutting edge fashion, but it has your basics.”

“I’m sure that will do.” Regina replied. “Do you know what time they close?”

Patty swallowed a mouthful and answered. “They’re open until eight, so you’ll have time to go after dinner if that’s what you’d like.”

Regina nodded and glanced at Emma.

“I think that’s what we’ll do then. We’re going to need clothes other than the ones on our back.” Emma spoke up.

The four of them ate in silence for awhile. Emma glanced up at Patty and noticedtheir hostess looked as if she wanted to ask something.

“So, Callie, did I hear you say earlier that you draw?” Emma asked quickly.

The teen nodded and launched into a long explanation of her dreams to become an animator. She talked about going away to an arts based college, the high standards of Disney and Pixar and the technology she would have to learn. Then she prattled on about a drawing she was doing and talked about her frustration with shading. “Would you like to see it?”

Emma and Regina both nodded and the girl bolted from the room.

 

“Thank you for indulging her,” Patty said with a smile. “Not many adults take her seriously. She’s a fine artist.”

Just then Callie came back into the room. “Tell me who you think it is.” And she dropped the sketchbook at Regina’s elbow.

Regina was just finishing her glass of iced tea when she glanced down. She gasped and began to cough. Emma patted her on the back until Regina had regained control. Regina flicked her eyes to the paper and then quickly back to Emma. 

Emma turned the sketchbook toward her and immediately understood Regina’s choking. 

 

Staring back at her, in pencil, was her mother.

Snow White.

 

 

 

 


	7. Sinking Truths

**_ Underneath The Surface  Chapter 7 _ **

**_ Sinking Truths _ **

 

 

** _Author’s notes: I don’t normally like to clutter a chapter with a bunch of ramble from me. I’d rather leave you in peace to enjoy the story. At least I hope you enjoy it. I wanted to apologize though for the short previous chapter. This one will be longer. Regina and Emma will eventually have to start dealing with questions, but right now they’re trying to start over, and trying to figure out how to get home. In this chapter, Regina comes to some realizations. I enjoy hearing what you think. Did you like it? What do you think about their predicament? I welcome your thoughts. On with the story!_ **

 

When Regina had regained control, she complimented Callie on her drawing skill. “It’s very lifelike, right down to the light in her eyes.”

“It’s like I could reach out and touch her.” Emma added.

Callie had glowed with the praise, and by the time she was back from putting the sketchbook away, thick slices of chocolate cake were being served for dessert.

Thankfully, there were no questions during dessert. Regina kept Callie talking. About art, about life in a small town, about anything that the teenager would discuss. She was unlike most teenaged girls Emma had come across. Most of them had been sullen and uncooperative. But Callie seemed to be engaged and interested in the world around her, if perhaps a little lonely.

After dessert, Regina offered to help with the dishes, but Patty would hear none of it.

“No, no, tonight is Callie’s turn. It’s part of her chores for the week. You ladies don’t worry about a thing. I’m sure you want to replace your belongings. It’s not a long walk.”

“I’ll go get our jackets, Regina.”

“I’ll meet you out front then.”

 

Regina sat on the swing on the porch to wait. The air had a bit of a nip in it, and she was glad Emma was getting their jackets. There was a bit of a breeze, and she could see the shadows slanting into their evening places. She closed her eyes and breathed the scent of pine, and honeysuckle, and thought this was a nice place to be stranded.

Much nicer than the woods anyway.

She heard the creak of the screen door and turned her head to see Emma step onto the porch. She expected her jacket to just be handed over, so she was surprised when Emma graciously held it open for her. 

“Thank you.”

Emma slid her arms into her leather jacket, checked that she had her wallet and said, “Well, let’s go get something else to wear, shall we?”

 

They had walked for a minute or two, both studying their surroundings carefully when Regina broke the silence.

“How much are you prepared to tell Patty? Because you know eventually, she’ll ask about us.”

“Not sure what you mean.”

“You’re being evasive, dear. Sooner or later, she’s going to ask if we’re a couple.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Because we’re behaving like one.”

Emma glanced at Regina quickly.

“You’ve taken care of me since we got pulled through that portal. You let me finish your water in the the truck, you gave me a glass of iced tea first, you hold my jacket for me, and as far as Patty is concerned, we’re sleeping together ...” Regina let the truth sink in for a moment. “Admit it, Emma, we’re attracted to each other, and it’s seeping through into our interactions.”

Emma said nothing at first. After thinking about it for a minute, she nodded. “I can see your point. Are you ashamed of where we seem to be headed?”

“No. Are you?”

“Not at all. Not here, and not back home in Storybrooke.”

“Are you willing to face down your parents over wherever we end up? They aren’t going to like us even being friends.”

“I know. They’re going to have to suck it up, aren’t they?”

“I’m sorry?” Regina was confused by the expression.

“Everyone’s going to have to adapt. Even you. We’ve been treating each other differently over a period of time, and eventually, you and my parents are either going to have let a lot of pain go or you’re all going to have to talk about it.” Emma shot Regina an unfathomable look. “Or we don’t let ourselves get any closer.”

“I don’t want to do that.”

 

“Which part?” Emma asked.

“I don’t want to not get closer to you. I like where we’re headed.”

“Me too.” Emma nodded. “So when people around here ask if we’re a couple, what do we tell them?”

“What are you comfortable with?”

“I’m not sure how they feel about that around here. They might be open minded or they might lynch us.”

“Do people still do that?” Regina asked.

Emma shrugged with her hands in her jacket pockets. “I dunno, but let’s not push it until we find out. In the meantime, we can say it’s complicated.”

Regina smiled. “You make a good politician.”

“Well, I _am_ a Sheriff.”

Regina chuckled.

 

Soon they were at the store Callie had directed them to. Regina had a sinking feeling her wardrobe might not recover until they got home, and her feeling was made no better by the pedestrian, mass-made feel of the store and the clothes in it. She took a deep breath and bit down on what she really wanted to say.

Emma saw how much effort Regina was putting into not falling back on her old safety net of biting sarcasm. She wanted to laugh but knew it would help nothing.

“You look really good in jeans, they’re even Levi’s.” Emma said quietly.

“Thank you, I think you do too.” They walked slowly together through the racks of clothing. “Do you need a special kind of shampoo or anything?” Regina suddenly felt as though she knew very little about Emma.

The blonde shook her head. “No, I’m pretty easy to please with all of it, shampoo, toothpaste, soft toothbrush, standard deodorant.”

“Do you trust me to get a few things for us then?”

“Sure. You do that and I’ll get some clothes for us. I guess you’ll want to pick out your own...”

Regina slipped her hand into Emma’s and give it a light squeeze. “Except for intimates, you can pick out some clothes for me.” She smiled then. “You know me well enough by now you can trust I won’t bite your head off.”

Emma grinned widely. “What if that ever present danger was part of your charm?”

The former Queen chuckled and moved off to find shampoo and toothbrushes. 

 

It wasn’t too long later that they left the store. Their choices had been on the limited side so shopping hadn’t taken very long. Regina was going to have to make do with clothesshe wouldn’t normally wear, but at least they weren’t too horrible. It was unclear how long they might be stuck here, they needed to work on making magic so that they could get home. She resolved to talk to Emma about it back at their room. They had also gotten some books, since both of them liked to read. A few crime fiction novels for Regina, adventure for Emma, a map of the area, a hardcover on magic that had caught her eye, a notebook and a package of pens. At the register, Emma had raised one eyebrow but when Regina had given a small shake of her head, it was clear an explanation would be coming later.

 

When they passed the general store, there were a few people gathered on the front porch.Everyone waved to Emma and Regina, even though no one knew them. That was just the small town way, so of course the sheriff and former Queen waved back. When they got back to the B&B,neither Patty nor Callie were around, but there was a note on their door.

 

_Regina, and Emma,_

_Mom asked me to let you know there is a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge, as well as some snacks in case you get hungry. Hope you found everything you needed at the store. Breakfast is at 8:30._

_See you then,_

_Callie_  

 

Regina read the note, then passed it to Emma as she unlocked the door. 

“I cannot wait to change into something other than these clothes,” Emma sighed as she sat on the bed to remove her boots.

“I agree.” Regina set their bags on the end of the bed. “Even these flannel pyjamas are beginning to seem like a good idea.”

“Once you get used to them, and they’ve been washed a couple of times, you’ll find them very warm and soft.”

“Silk is soft.” Regina set to work removing tags and handing Emmaclothes to put away.

“True, but in a sexy, seductive kind of way. Sometimes, you need comfort, not seduction.”

“I admit, I haven’t got a lot of experience with comfort, other than Henry of course. Right now, I’m just glad we’re not having to sleep out in the forest. I’ll be right back.” Regina lifted the sleep-wear in question and headed for the bathroom. 

Once she had washed as best she could with hot soapy water and a washcloth, something her father referred to as a ‘bird bath’ when she had been small, and rinsed, Regina changed all her clothes. The flannel pyjamas were printed with various songbirds and likely would have suited Snow White better than herself. But her choices had been limited, and she knew compromises would have to be made in this new place.She brushed her hair and teeth and left the bathroom.

 

Emma mulled over Regina’s admission while she put away their new clothes. She knew the woman hadn’t had an easy childhood, and a manipulated adulthood, but it baffled her that Regina had always chosen what was expected of her over her own comfort. She shook her head and marvelled at how different Regina was away from Storybrooke, away from those that knew her as an Evil Queen. But the question was, who would she be when they managed to make their way home?

 

“It’s all yours.” Regina came into the room. “Do you have a side preference for sleeping?”

Emma stopped mid-way to the bathroom and turned. “No one has ever asked me that before. I usually sleep on my left side, and I always seem to be on the edge of the bed, no matter if I’m sleeping with someone or not.” Emma shrugged.

Regina nodded. “I imagine it’s a part of your protection.”

Emma raised an eyebrow.

“Part of your flight response. You likely sleep on the edge to either get away easier or face a threat.”

“Oh. I never thought of it that way, but it makes sense, yeah.” Emma stood lost in her thoughts for a few moments more, then turned on her heel and went into the bathroom. Regina set the stack of books on the dresser, chose the one on magic and climbed into bed with a sigh.

 

She laid there holding the book, but her eyes were on the closed bathroom door. She and Emma were both damaged, they understood each other, and their defences, and she supposed that was why they were drawn to each other. It was easy to forgive when you understood a person’s motivation. Unbidden, Callie’s drawing of Snow White came to mind. It had been a perfect likeness of the meddling, maddening mother of Emma Swan. Once Regina had gotten her coughing under control, she had asked how Callie had settled on her subject. It had been difficult to believe that the girl had just let her pencil ‘draw whatever’, as she claimed. Butsometimes, it was better not to ask too many questions. Regina knew that she and Snow had a lot of things to talk about. In herbones, she wanted to forgive the young woman for betraying Regina’s secret to Cora all those years ago. She knew she should have decades ago, but it had been easier and safer to let the anger focus on Snow White rather than on Cora. Regina’s mother was capable of killing her, and had come close many times in her youth. Knowing now that Cora could not have cared didn’t make any of this easier. But Regina knew that if she was going to have any kind of relationship with Emma, her feud with Snow and Charming would need to end. Listening to the sound of the shower and mulling these thoughts over, Regina drifted off.

The book on magic still unopened.

 

 


	8. Treading Water

_** Underneath The Surface Chapter 8 ** _

_** Treading Water ** _

 

When Emma’s cell phone alarm went off the next morning, she silenced it quickly. It was too early to wake Regina and Emma wanted to run. She slipped out from under the covers, and changed into a clean t-shirt, track pants, socks and running shoes. All purchased the day before, of course. She put on her hoodie and tiptoed down the stairs, not wanting to wake anyone else. Patty had said the house was full, but Emma had yet to see anyone else besides Patty and Callie in the big house. Closing the door quietly behind her, Emma stretched her legs and began to jog in the same direction she and Regina had gone the night before. The air held a bit of nip, but the sky was clear as the sun peeked over the trees in the east. Emma passed the general store, glad it was empty. Usually she ran to work out or get something off her chest, she didn’t want to make a lot of small talk. Even the citizenry of Storybrooke had eventually learned to only wave when their Sheriff was running.

 

Across the street, Karen’s Yarn & Yards was dark as well. She could see a light on at Big Mike’s Garage, off to the side, in the office she supposed. Emma focused on her breathing as her gaze flicked across to the Sneezing Moose. She could see lights coming on as they got ready for their day. The rest of Desperation Lake seemed to still be asleep as she ran. She flicked her hood up and watched the town slip past, the shops giving way to houses, spaced further and further apart. About a mile from town, Emma could feel a familiar burn start in her calves just as she spotted the first red barn. She glanced over her shoulder, saw no vehicles and swerved across the road, and back the way she had come.

 

As her feet pounded the road, she wondered how they were going to get home. Regina’s magic hadn’t worked since they had been pulled into the portal, and Emma was more than a little nervous about trying hers. It was her fault they were here in the first place. They had to assume that Storybrooke could still be accessed from wherever they were. Emma knew Regina had picked up a map the night before, so the first thing to do was to find out exactly where they were. Just as she came back into the small town, the burn started in her thighs and she noticed someone waving her into the diner. She sighed and slowed her pace, coming to a stop in front of an older woman who looked a lot like another diner owner in Maine.

Emma couldn’t help but smile. 

 

 

“Good morning! You must be Emma. Cam told me she’d picked you and your friend up. Come in and have a cup of coffee on the house!” The older woman smiled and all but herded Emma inside.

The diner looked pretty much like any other Emma had been in. She sat on a stool half way down the counter before realizing she sat in almost the same place back in Granny’s. A cup of steaming coffee was put in front of her, and a chilled metal cream carafe beside it.

“My name is Charlotte, but everyone around here calls me Charlie. So Cam said you girls were out there a few days?”

Emma took a sip of her coffee before answering. She was a little surprised to find it to be a good brew. “Yeah, we were out there a while. It was nice of Cam to pick us up and bring us into town. She said something about it being bear season?”

Charlie nodded and wiped down an already clean section of counter. “Yep, nasty time it is. I like the folks that come in and visit, and business picks up for a while, but I don’t hold much stock in hunting down innocent creatures.Ah, never mind me. Where are you and your girlfriend from?”

Emma was glad she didn’t have a mouthful of coffee just then.Trying to cover her surprise, she asked, “What makes you think she’s my girlfriend?”

 

Charlie looked over her glasses. “Sweetie, Cam sees things we don’t know we’re doing. She told me all about your short ride with her. The way you apparently treated that other lady sure sounds like there’s something going on.”

Emmafrowned and wondered silently why people couldn’t keep their impressions to themselves.

Charlie saw the displeased look and patted Emma’s arm. “Don’t mind Cam. She doesn’t know what it’s like to have secrets, because she’s lived here her whole life and everyone knows everything, you know. She means well, she does.”

Emma took a long swallow from her cup, leaned both her elbows on the counter and said, “Regina isn’t a secret, we’re just ... new at this I guess. I never thought I was doing anything special.” Emma shrugged. “Anyway, we’re from the Boston area. A little town you’ve probably never heard of and not too different from this one I suppose. I’m the Sheriff there and Regina was the Mayor.” Emma drained her cup and watched Charlie fill it up again. “We were going cross-country and I guess I fell asleep. The car hit a tree and ...” Emma shrugged again. “I’m a little embarrassed. We lost everything we had with us. Thank goodness we had our jackets on and I had my wallet in my pocket.”

 

“Were you able to replace your belongings?” Charlie asked a she put away the untouched creamer.

Emma nodded and jerked her thumb over her shoulder toward the street. “We went to the BuyWay across the road there. Regina’s more used to Boston fashion, but she’ll survive denim and flannel I think.”

Charlie nodded and smiled. “A little flannel never hurt anyone in my experience. So what’s your plan now?”

Emma took another drink, wondering how much to tell this woman. Charlie must have sensed her hesitation because she patted Emma’s shoulder and said, “I’m not Cam, honey. I know when to keep my lips shut.”

Emma sighed deeply and studied the old woman for a few heartbeats more. “Honestly? I’m not even sure where we are, other than Desperation Lake, population 500.”

Charlie nodded. “Well, the sign’s a tad out of date. Closer to 480 now I think, but never mind. You’re in Northern Ontario.”

Emma had no reaction, so Charlie added, “You’re in Ontario, Canada. A long way from Boston.”

 

Emma was stunned, but she masked her shock by lifting the cup to her lips again.

Canada!

Her mind was reeling with a million questions and she wanted nothing more than to run back to the B&B and demand Regina take them home by any means necessary. She drained her cup and studied the chipped counter-top. 

Charlie patted one of her hands comfortingly. “I’m sorry if I’ve startled you, I assumed you knew where you were. Should you be jogging with a head injury?”

Emma grasped on to the weak, but feasible explanation. “No, probably not. I should get back to Regina. Could I get a coffee to go for her? It’s a couple of hours until breakfast.”

Charlie was already filling two cups. “Absolutely. Why don’t you bring Regina over here for lunch? Special of the day is local whitefish.”

Emma hesitated again.

“Tell you what, Emma”, Charlie set the cups down and leaned on the counter. “These coffee’s are on the house but I’ll make you a deal. There’s a pile of firewood out back that I’m too old to cut anymore. If you’ll split it and stack it for me over the next couple of days, I’ll feed you girls a good lunch. How’s that sound?”

Storybrooke’s Sheriff sensed a lifeline being tossed, and she smiled and nodded. “Deal.”

They shook on it and Emma left with a cup of coffee in each hand.

 

Emma managed to make it back inside and up the stairs without spilling a drop. She had been sitting in the wicker chair for a few minutes when Regina stirred and opened her eyes.

“Good morning. Have you been watching over me all night?”

Emma shook her head. “No just for a little while. I brought you coffee from the diner.” She stood and took it across the room, and when Regina sat up, Emma settled on the side of the bed.

Regina took the cup, but her eyes never left the blonde. “Emma, what’s wrong?”

“When you got the map yesterday at that store, did you see what you were getting?”

Regina’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “No, I asked the young man behind the register for a local map, he put one on our stack of purchases and my attention shifted to something else. Why?”

Emma sat staring at the floor for a full minute before she looked into Regina’s eyes. “Regina, we’re in Canada.”

 

The former Queen looked puzzled. “Canada?”

“Yeah, Canada. Storybrooke is in Maine, part of the United States. I’m sure you’ve helped Henry with his geography homework from time to time. Canada...the country above The United States.”

Regina raised one eyebrow and tried to look regal in flannel. “Thank you for the geography lesson, Miss Swan. You seem concerned by this.”

“You should be too. I know Storybrooke existed in some kind of stasis for a couple of decades, so you might not be aware that to get from one country to another, border authorities require travellers to have all kinds of identification. Passport, driver’s licenses...that kind of thing. You don’t have those, Regina. We’re stuck here until we can figure out a way to magic us home.”

 

Regina studied her coffee silently. She gave no more reaction than if she had simply been treading water all alone in her pool at home.

 

“How can you be so calm about all this?” Emma stood suddenly and paced across the room. “I’ve ‘poofed’ us to a place we don’t know and we’re stuck here until we can find a way to get home, and...” She raked her hands through her hair with frantic gestures.

“Emma...”

“Our son is back there, my family is there...” She paced quickly to the window, as if the answer could be found there.

“Emma!” Regina had gotten out of bed and taken Emma by the arm.

“Regina, I can’t...”

“Emma!” Regina snapped again.

Emma stopped babbling.

“Now, Miss Swan, I would think that you, as The Saviour our son speaks so highly of, would be a little more pulled together.”

“Don’t you see, Regina? I’m not the goddamned Saviour!” Emma spun away from the window. “I’m just me, and it’s my fault we’re here and Henry is back there, and I can’t...” A sob escaped and Emma’s eyes filled with tears. Her face crumpled somewhere between angry and defeated. Regina dropped the imperiousness that helped her maintain control, and simply wrapped her arms around Emma.

 

There was no Evil Queen, there was no Saviour; there were only two women. One who was falling apart, and one trying to hold her together.

 

To Be Continued

 


	9. Edge of A Tsunami

_**Author’s Note: In many ways, my version of Regina is a combination of ‘canon’ and ‘fanon’ (canon as we Swan Queen fans would like to see it).I have always seen Regina as a complex, tortured and struggling individual. I believe that at the point she decided to be good for Henry’s sake, her life changed. As a fan, I’m very interested in a character’s evolution. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Now, on with our story, which is far, far from over!**_

 

Regina held Emma while she cried, suspecting there was more to her tears than simple fear and frustration. She knew there was a great deal of guilt and uncertainty as well. She also knew that Emma felt a great deal of pressure to live up to her “Saviour” and “White Knight” roles that half of Storybrooke, including their son, had painted her as. The demands, tension and stress all built up, and usually Emma could work it off by running or working out with the kick boxing bag. Here, she had been focused on keeping them alive, which only added pressure. But even Emma Swan had her limits.

Gradually, Emma’s tears ran out and her sobs gave way to the occasional hitch in her breath. Regina held her for as long as she needed, until she felt Emma sigh heavily and begin to step back.

“Thanks. I guess I needed that.”

Regina nodded and went to sit on the bed, facing Emma. “You did.” She nodded. “You can’t expect to carry the responsibility that you do and not crack some time. You needed to let some of the pressure off. I told you before, I’m here for you.”

 

Emma leaned against the wall and crossed her arms as she looked at Regina. “Even if we never get home?”

Regina nodded. “I have every confidence we _will_ get home. Of course I have no idea _when_ , but I know we will.”

“How can you be so sure, Regina?” Emma was beginning to sound exasperated.

Normally, Emma was the impulsive one, but Regina had a feeling and she went with it. She stood up and crossed the room to where Emma stood and took the blonde’s hands in her own. “Because you are the most stubborn woman I have ever met, perhaps even more stubborn than I am. Between the two of us, we have already achieved things others said could not be done, and I know we’ll do it again.”

Emma nodded and continued to hold Regina’s hands.

 

After a minute, Emma sighed and gave Regina’s hands a small squeeze and she let go. She returned to the wicker chair and took a drink of rapidly-cooling coffee. “I had an interesting chat with the owner of the diner here.”

Regina raised one eyebrow. “Oh? What do I need to know?” She started making the bed.

“Well, that woman that gave us a ride to town has no concept of privacy. Told Charlie all about you and I.”

“Wait, Charlie?”

“Well, her name is Charlotte, but everyone calls her Charlie. She seems to understand I don’t want everything blabbed all over town, but anyway, Cam told her about every second of our ride in, so Charlie has you and I figured out. She assured me that she wouldn’t spread it all any further, but...”

“If Cam told her, then she’s told everyone.” Regina added.

Emma nodded. “We’re probably the biggest news to hit Desperation Lake since the internet. So we’ve been invited, hell, I was all but told to bring you, for lunch, I mean. Whitefish, apparently. Which I’ve agreed to cut and stack wood for. I hesitated and I guess Charlie thought I hesitated out of financial concern.”

 

Regina sat on the freshly made bed, looked at Emma and raised one eyebrow. “Why did you hesitate? Are you worried?”

“No, I couldn’t remember if you liked fish. Anyway, Charlie offered a trade. Lunch if I split and stacked a bunch of wood. I agreed. It seemed fair.”

Regina nodded. “Indeed it does. I think anytime we can do something like that, it might be wise.”

Emma nodded. “I think so too. Breakfast should be ready soon.”

“I should get dressed.” Regina retrieveda change of clothes and moved toward the bathroom. Just as she stepped by Emma’s chair, the blonde reached out and snagged one of her hands. “Regina...thank you. I’m actually glad that it’s you and I this time. I mean, I hate that we’re in this situation, but...”

Regina smiled at Emma. “I understand. I am too.”

Emma smiled back.

 

When Regina had closed the bathroom door behind her, Emma looked carefully at her hand. It still tingled from their contact. No doubt about it, she had definite feelings for Regina, family history be damned. Apparently that was obvious enough to be the topic of conversation in a town they had only recently arrived in. She wanted to take Regina in her arms, she wanted to feel those red lips on hers again...but ...

Emma got out of the chair quickly and picked up the book on magic. She wasn’t much of a reader, but perhaps that would have to change. She drained her cup and opened the cover.

 

A few minutes later, Reginare-appeared. “Emma, the bathroom is yours if you’d like to take a shower.”  

Emma glanced up and felt her mouth suddenly go dry. Regina was wearing a cream colored button down shirt, tucked in to very snug jeans. Of course, her hair was perfect.

“Miss Swan, is everything all right?”

“Regina...you look...”

Emma stood suddenly, crossed the room and put her hands on either side of the other woman’s face as she kissed her firmly. Then she stepped away.

“I couldn’t wait any more. You look pretty damn amazing.” Then she plucked her clothes from the dresser and left Regina still standing in the middle of the room.

 

When Regina could finally regain her train of thought, she glanced down to see what Emma had been reading. The book on magic. Ah. 

Regina planned to study it carefully, making notes along the way so that she could experiment and hopefully reach some kind of middle ground between this worlds magic and her own, however sluggish. But even as she resolved to find a magic solution, one had to assume they might be stuck here for even a short time. She paced slowly as she considered their options, but it was too soon to know exactly what their options were. She heard the shower start as her eyes fell on Emma’s cell phone. It occurred to her then that neither of them had tried to call home. So with shaking fingers, she entered the number for the Mayor’s office.

 

_We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check your number and try again._

She took a breath and dialed her home number and got the same recording.

This couldn’t be right! Her phone had always worked perfectly.

 

The woman who had cast the curse and brought an entire town into being had a chilling thought, right there in the middle of their room.

What if Storybrooke had ceased to exist?

She shook her head a little and pondered how egotistical it would be if, once she had left the country as Emma had said, if Storybrooke had simply vanished.

Regina went to the window, opened the curtains and looked outside as she thought. Although Jefferson was the one more skilled at travelling between worlds, she knew that many worlds existed side by side. She wondered if that was the case here. Regina heard the shower shut off, but stayed where she was. Her mind travelled back to the kiss. There was no doubt they both felt something for each other. But as much as Reginawanted more, she also wanted things to proceed at a reasonable pace. There could be no mistakes, no hurt feelings. She had begun to suspect that her companion was very close to a break down of some sort, an emotional tsunami. For an entire year, she had done what everyone else expected of her, putting her own needs on hold. Now that they had been transported somewhere unfamiliar, Emma was beginning to feel the strain, as much as she was trying to hide from it. Regina knew that she needed to be strong for her now, she needed to be both her champion and her rock. They would get home only with both their magic, and for that to work, Emma had to heal. Unstable emotions would only make things worse. Magic was based in emotion but without proper, stable direction, high emotions could be prove as fatal as a flash flood.

The bathroom door opened and the blonde woman stepped out freshly scrubbed and still damp.

 

Regina turned to face her. “Emma, we have a couple of minutes, I’ve been thinking.”

Emma nodded and sat on the bed. “Okay.”

“I need you to hear me out.” Regina sat on the bed beside her.“There’s a couple of things I’ve been mulling over. I don’t know how much you’ve been told about alternate worlds, but basically, there are other worlds out there besides the one we’re familiar with. Like Wonderland and Fairy Tale Land. Different, parallel, but separate from our own. Your Boston has technology, Fairy Tale Land has magic. Think of them like threads, laying beside each other. They lie together close, but touching only rarely, if at all. Magic allows them to both be accessed, even if the people in each world don’t understand it.”

 

Regina looked at Emma to gauge how much she understood. She seemed to be accepting the explanation so far.

“I suspect that this is the case here. I believe that portal deposited us into an alternate world quite similar to what you were used to before Henry brought you to us. While you were in the shower, I tried to call home. I called my office as well. Both times I got a recording telling me the numbers were out of service. Cell phones are wonderful technology, but even they cannot call other worlds.”

 

Emma rose quickly off the bed and Regina reached out to snag her hand. “Emma, listen, please. You need to keep an open mind.”

The bounty hunter turned Sheriff turned and faced Regina, sighed and waited. 

“I’m not telling you this to upset you, but rather to underline the potential of our going home. But I suspect it will take both of our magic to make it happen. It took both of us to get rid of the Wraith in your office, and a portal was made. It took both of us to stop the trigger down in the mines, and we saved the town from annihilation. I believe it will take both of us to make another portal to get us home. Which means we need to refocus on you learning magic, and at the same time, we’ll learn what works here and what doesn’t.”

“How are we supposed to do that?”

“Research, trial and error. We spend time here doing what we would have done back home, only with a few more challenges thrown in.”

Emma went to turn away, but Regina wove her fingers between Emma’s own. 

“No, I’m not done, you need to hear me out. Sit down here beside me, please.”

Emma sat.

 

“Now, if this whole town thinks you and I are a couple, I’m fine with that. Neither of us can truthfully deny that we have feelings for each other. You can’t deny that you’ve been feeling a lot of pressure lately. I need you to understand that I want to be your friend, and a whole lot more, Emma. I want to lie beside you at night and hold your hand. I want you to feel safe enough with me that you can cry if you need to. If you need to talk,youneed to know I’m a very good listener. I know you’ve been distant with Snow since you found out she’s your mother. You need a friend, and I’m saying that I’m here for you. Now, all that being said, I also think that our plan to get home may take some time. Magic rarely works as we would like it to. We’re going to be asked why we don’t just go home. I suspect we could buy ourselves some time if we used my identification as an excuse. I imagine it takes time to replace such things, yes?”

 

Emma nodded.

 

“So we use the replacement of my identification as our excuse for not going home right away. In the meantime, we make ourselves useful here in Desperation Lake. It is my thought that we work on our magic here in our room, away from prying eyes. We wouldn’t want to be working on our magic in the woods only to have some bear hunter come back here and tell stories.”

“Or Cam.” Emma added

Regina made a face. “Or Cam. Now, I’ve said my piece. What do you think?”

 

Emma looked at their intertwined fingers in her lap. “I think I like the idea of us being a couple. I need some time to figure out the alternate worlds and everything, and I think I’m starving. Can we go down for breakfast and pick this up later?”

Regina chuckled. “Some things never change, no matter what world we’re in. Of course we can. Let’s go eat.” Regina lifted their hands to her lips and kissed one of Emma’s knuckles. “Think about everything I’ve said. I’m here for you.”

 

Just then a knock sounded on their door and Callie’s voice floated through the wood. “Regina? Emma? Mom says breakfast is ready.”

To Be Continued

 

 


	10. Purple Flood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina shows just a little of her inner sass and cows a wrestler

**_ Underneath The Surface, Chapter 10: Purple Flood _ **

**_ By Carolyn McBride _ **

 

Regina opened the door and smiled. “Good morning, Callie, we were just coming downstairs.”

Callie smiled at Regina, “Oh good! Mom’s making something special for breakfast.”

Emma stepped out into the hallway and flashed a small smile at Callie, then turned to shut their door. “It smells good, even from up here.”

Callie preceded them down the stairs and replied, “I think it’s blueberry pancakes with wild berries. You look nice this morning, Regina.”

“Thank you.” 

There was no time for any further conversation as they had already come to the bottom of the stairs. Callie stumbled as she was shoved aside by a guest Emma hadn’t seen before. He was a big man, easily six feet tall, wide in the shoulders with arms that reminded one of tree trunks. His head seemed large too with wild hair that stuck out at every angle. He shot the teenager a withering look and she stepped back onto the staircase.

 

Regina heard the sound of someone coming down the hall from the kitchen, but this man trying to intimidate the girl woke something inside of the former queen and she stepped forward and around Callie.

Right into the big man’s space.

“Excuse me, but perhaps you’d like to apologize to the young lady.”

The big man looked Regina up and down and only sneered in response.

Emma watched that familiar, regal mask slip down over Regina’s features as she drew herself ramrod straight. Emma leaned forward and put one hand on Callie’s shoulder and whispered into her ear. “Watch and learn.”

 

Regina stepped slowly closer to the big man, curled her upper lip and enunciated every word. “This is Callie’s home, _sir_ , and you are a guest. Perhaps you were raised by wild animals, but where I come from, guests show respect to their hosts, no matter their age. I believe you owe the young lady an apology.”

“I don’t apologize to punks.” He snarled. “And who the hell are you to tell me what to do? Do you know who I am?”

“I certainly do.” Regina’s voice dripped with scorn and sarcasm. “You are no better than a pig for the way you treat girls, and I have to assume that you treat grown women the same way.”

Emma saw Patty move forward, and she put a hand on her arm to stop her. When Patty looked at her, the fear was plain on her face. Emma smiled slightly and shook her head.

 

“It does not do anyone any good to behave like a wild boar.” Regina drew the last word out contemptuously as the man stepped back a pace and halfway out the door. “Surely your father did not teach you to be such a lout towards women. In this day and age, you will find more success by treating people with respect than if you treat them as the insect _you_ are.” Regina pressed her advantage by taking a step further into the stranger’s space. “You will apologize, and mean it, to both Patty and her daughter, respectfully, or I will _personally_ ensure you are no more welcome in this town than a sexual disease. Do you understand me?” she snarled.

 

The guest backed up another step and nodded vigourously. Emma saw genuine fear in his eyes and marvelled at the power Regina still wielded, until Regina turned to face them.

Her eyes had turned purple.

Two words flitted across Emma’s mind, ‘ _Oh, shit_ ’ and she shot off the step. She took Regina’s elbow in her hand and turned her toward the door. “Could I see you outside for just a second, dear?”

The powerful brunette looked all kinds of pissed off, and for a moment Emma wondered if she would literally rip her head off, but she guided her out onto the porch regardless. She kept Regina turned away from the house as she slipped her arm around Regina’s waist and murmured in her ear. “Listen to me, I know what you’re feeling right now, but you have to put a lid on it. Your eyes are purple.”

Regina’s gaze snapped from the street to Emma’s face. “What?”

Emma rubbed Regina’s lower back, not caring that the others were watching. “We can talk about this later, but you have to get it under control, okay?”

Regina inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. She shut her eyes and did it again, and then looked up at Emma. “Gone?”

“Gone. We’re okay. It must have just been the light in the stairwell, right?” Emma smiled.

They turned as one back to the house. ”Absolutely.” Regina agreed.

 

As they came back to the door, the big man was stammering and looking at the floor. “Umm...”

Regina poked him in the lower back with a long finger. “It is polite to remove one’s hat while apologizing to a lady.”

He jumped, and stood straight as he snatched his hat off his head. “Callie, Patty, I’m sorry for the disrespect I showed. I should have behaved better. Please forgive me.”

Then he spun on his heel, shot Regina a fearful glance and nearly ran to the street.

 

As Emma held the door open for Regina to re-enter the house, Callie was still standing on the bottom step, eyes wide.

“Are you all right, my dear?” Regina put her hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m ok. Thank you. No one’s ever defended me like that before.” Callie’s head cocked slightly. “Why’d you do it?”

Regina smiled at her. “I cannot abide a man that treats others as if they were lower than he. I have some experience in the matter, and I’ve learned that is a slippery slope. Now, how about those blueberry pancakes?” Regina turned a bright smile on Patty and the four of them went into the dining room.

 

By the time the pancakes were consumed, the uneasiness had been put aside. No one had mentioned the purple hue that had taken over Regina’s eyes, even though Emma had a ready excuse for it. 

“Regina, would you like some coffee?” Patty asked.

“Yes please. Emma brought us some back from the diner after her morning run, but I’m afraid one isn’t enough for either of us. Emma’s going to need some for her morning of wood chopping, I think.” 

Emma glanced up and smiled in agreement.

“How long have the two of you been together?” Callie asked suddenly.

“Umm...” Emma stumbled over an explanation she thought she had ready.

Thankfully, Regina was much smoother. “It’s a relatively new relationship. We’re still navigating our way through it I think. Isn’t that right?” She turned to Emma.

Emma nodded and tried to look settled, even though her pancakes were doing flips in her stomach. “I’d say so, yeah.”

Callie smiled at Emma, sly and knowing, despite her age. “You act like you’ve been looking out for her for a while.”

“Callie! Hush! It’s not our business!” Patty admonished.

Emma put her cup down and put her hand on the back of Regina’s chair. “I guess I have been. It’s become second nature for me now. Would you believe we hated each other when we first met?”

Callie looked first from Emma and then to Regina, then back to the blonde. “No way, really?”

Emma nodded. “Really. It was a while before we could see past our first impressions of each other, but we did. Somehow I went from hating her, to defending her, and ... well ... here we are.”

“That is so cool.” Callie breathed.

Emma glanced at Patty, who was studying Regina with a smile. “Indeed.”

 

Regina returned the smile. “Patty, Callie said these were wild blueberries?”

Patty nodded as she poured herself coffee. “Callie and I picked them ourselves. The first batch of the season. We like to use wild foods when we can. I’ve been meaning to put in an edible garden, but I never seem to have the time.”

Emma reached under the table and nudged Regina’s thigh gently.

“Perhaps I can help you with that. I have a few gardens back home.” Regina wiped her mouth with her napkin and reached under the table to take Emma’s in her own.

“Could you? That would be wonderful! I wouldn’t want to keep you from anything...”

Emma exchanged a look with Regina and said, “I think we’ll be here for a little while if you don’t mind, Patty. It’s going to take a while to get Regina’s I.D replaced before we can cross the border. Just let me know how much the room is and...”

“Did I hear you were chopping wood later?”

 

Emma nodded. “Charlie and I talked this morning and she offered a trade. Lunch for a pile of wood split and stacked. It seemed fair.”

Patty sat back in her chair and studied Emma wordlessly for a minute. Then she said, “You don’t look like you’re afraid of a little work.”

“She’s our town’s Sheriff, back home.” Regina boasted.

“No way!” Callie exclaimed.

Emma blushed a little and nodded. “Regina was our Mayor.”

“Callie, would you clear the table, except for our cups, please?” Patty looked to her daughter. “I’ll make you ladies an offer then. In return for Regina’s help with the gardening and landscaping, and your help with a few repairs and renovations, Emma, I’m prepared to let you stay as long as you need, no charge.”

Emma looked at Patty, waiting.

 

Patty continued as she refilled their coffee cups. “I appreciate what you did on Callie’s behalf, Regina. Turk has been an ass every year he comes bear hunting. He swaggers around like we owe him something, just because he’s some wrestling star. He’s been a thorn in my side for five years, and frankly, seeing him take his hat off and apologize was priceless. I’m no fool, but I don’t have the kind of backbone you do. You did us a huge favor by taking him down a peg. So discuss my offer between you and let me know. Callie, show them how to get out to the backyard please, so they can enjoy sun with their privacy.”

Regina and Emma followed the teenager down the hall and out the backdoor.

 

“So this is it. I know it’s not much right now, but maybe you can help Mom change it some?”

“It has a lot of potential.” Regina smiled. 

Callie left them alone and they studied the yard. It was nice, if a bit plain. The grass was obviously healthy, lush and a dark green. The deck was concrete and held two white Adirondack chairs and a small table between them. They each took a seat and looked at the empty yard.

“Well, what do you think?” Emma asked.

“About the yard or the offer?” Regina smirked.

Emma rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically.

Regina chuckled. “Relax, dear, I was only having a little fun. In all seriousness, I think it’s a good offer, and in line with what we were discussing upstairs. I think we should accept. What are your feelings?”

“I think we’re accepted, here at least.” Emma reached out and took Regina’s hand and allow their joined hands to form a bond between them. “I agree with you, we should accept. It would benefit everyone.”

Regina nodded and they drank their coffee in companionable silence.

 

Once Emma had drained the last of her coffee, she gave Regina’s hand a small squeeze. “As much as I’m enjoying this, I should get going. I’ll be back to take a shower and pick you up for lunch.”

Regina chuckled as she stood up. “Why, Miss Swan, are you asking me out on a date?”

Emma stood as well and smiled. “Yes, Ms. Mills, I believe I am.”

Regina smiled that thousand watt smile that Emma loved to see, then leaned over and kissed Emma’s cheek. “I’ll be waiting.”

 

Neither of them saw Patty at the kitchen window, watching with a broad smile of her own as she rinsed the dishes at the sink.

 

_ To be continued _

 


	11. Crashing Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Passion, same-gender loving, intimacy. If this sort of thing bothers you, skip over this part.

Underneath The Surface Chapter 11

Crashing Waves

 

** _Author’s note: At long last, we have some magic and some intimacy. If you don’t like that sort of thing, look away now, because there’s a butt-ton of passion and touching and more in this chapter. If that is your thing, then sing it with me...SwanQueen all the way! I hope the wait is worth it. Please review and let me know what you think. Hang on folks, we’re nowhere near done yet!_ **

 

Emma found her way back to the kitchen to put her cup in the dishwasher. Patty turned from the sink and said, “I’ve never had guests do that before. In fact, I’ve never had guests like either of you before. Thank you.”

“We owe you our thanks, Patty, but I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end,”

Patty nodded, then asked, “So we’ll see you for dinner then?”

“Oh, I’ll be back to grab a shower and pick up Regina for our lunch date.” Emma smiled widely. “Maybe over supper we could talk about what kinds of repairs and renos you want done. If you can make a list this afternoon, it might be easier.”

Patty nodded. “I’ll do that. Be careful with that axe of Charlie’s.”

Emma nodded and pushed off the counter she’d been leaning on. “I will. See you later.”

 

Even on the short walk to the diner, Emma found herself pondering Regina’s purple eyes. 

_If magic is rooted in emotion, and Regina’s emotions were running high with that jackhole, then magic must work here. But will it work with any high emotion, or just anger? I don’t want to have to get Regina angry at me just so we can go home!_

Emma sighed heavily.

_On the other hand, it’s worth it to get back to Henry and my parents. So far, it’s not too bad here either._

Emma sighed again and pushed the door to the diner open.

 

There were a few people seated in vinyl covered booths along the left wall, and only two stools along the counter were taken. Emma slid onto one relatively in the middle. Charlie came to her carrying a steaming cup of coffee. “One to get you going, Emma?”

“Thanks, Charlie. I’ll have this and then get on that pile of wood. It’s out back?”

Charlie nodded and pointed toward the back of the diner. “See that short hallway? The left door takes you outside and the right takes you to the washrooms. When you finish your coffee, no rush, you go on out and you’ll find an axe, a sharpening stone and a mess of wood. You’ll seewhere my nephew started piling it. Just carry on like he started I guess. While you’re working on that wood, you eat and drink all you want, on the house. Any questions?”

Emma shook her head.

“Okay, if you do, come find me.”

 

From the corner of her eye, the former bounty hunter watched the other patrons. One or two were actively staring, while some of the others were trying to watch without looking like they were. A few had dismissed her completely, which suited her fine. As she drank her coffee, she could pick out bits of conversation here and there. Complaints about the postal system, griping about the weather, not enough rain, someone’s bees were dying off and someone else was bemoaning the lack of tractor parts. All in all, a standard mix of conversation for any diner in any small town. Emma turned her thoughts back to their current predicament. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had a niggling suspicion that the ferocity of the portal was tied in to the fact that Regina had been touching her when the portal formed. If that was the case, then her feelings for Regina would have to be explored and dealt with before she tried magic again. Emma drank the remainder of her coffee and headed out back.

 

It was a massive heap of wood. It looked as though a giant had just tossed it and left. Behind and off to the right, she could see a small house with the beginnings of a properly stacked woodpile. The house was one-storey with white siding and a red metal roof. It had a low-slung screened in porch with hanging flower pots and a couple more on either side of the screen door. Emma decided that must be Charlie’s house and turned back to the woodpile. She spent some time sharpening the axe before she did anything else, knowing that a dull axe was an accident waiting to happen. 

 

Once she deemed it sharp enough, Emma set the axe aside and pondered the haphazard mountain of wood. She would have to select the first few pieces carefully so the whole mess didn’t come down on her. When she spied a broad, short stump, she decided it would be her base. Wrestling it to the spot she’d picked out was work enough, and she wondered briefly what Charlie’s nephew had accomplished with no base and a dull axe.  

 

Shortly after Emma had left the house, Regina came inside. She stopped just inside the kitchen door and crossed her arms as she watched Patty load the dishwasher. “Do you have time to talk about the gardening this morning?”

“I do, in fact. Do you have some time now?”

Regina smiled. “I would enjoy that. Do you have paper and a pencil?”

“Why don’t you pour us some more coffee and I’ll get those.”

When the two women had settled down at the table, Regina took the paper and pencil. “All right, first, what kinds of edible things do you want to grow?”

Patty thought for a moment. “Peppers, tomatoes, onions, potatoes. I’d like my own berry bushes, but we’re surrounded by blueberries.”

“Have you ever thought about growing sugar plums? It might take a few years to get fruit, but they make wonderful jam.”

Patty nodded. “I had them when I was a girl. I enjoyed them.”

Regina nodded and started the list with sugar plums. “How many hours of sunlight do you think you get in the backyard per day?”

“Depending on the weather, up to 12 during a good summer.”

Regina wrote that down as well. “I suggest we put in more than one bed. Tomatoes and potatoes both belong to the same sub-family of nightshades. Peppers are also nightshades. So you’ll want at least three different garden beds. It will also be easier to protect them against frost, and extend your growing season.”

Regina glanced up from the paper to find Patty staring at her. “Was it something I said?”

 

Patty shook her head slightly. “May I ask you a question? If it’s too personal, I’ll understand.”

“Go ahead.”

“How is it that you came to be Mayor of wherever you’re from?”

Regina took a drink of coffee as she pondered how best to answer the question. Obviously she wasn’t about to tell this woman about her past as an evil, malicious queen bent on ruining her subjects’ happy endings. When she had put the cup down, she said, “It’s something you might say I just fell into. I’m on sabbatical now. Did you say you wanted to grow a few herbs as well?”

Patty accepted the change in subject and turned her attention back to gardening.

 

 ****

 

 

 

Two hours later, Emma had split an impressive pile of wood. She had settled into an easy rhythm with the axe, but her back was beginning to object to the unfamiliar repetitiveness. She stood and stretched her muscles out, shaking the pins and needles out of her hands. The back screen door squeaked as it opened, and she turned to see Charlie coming toward her with a tall glass.

“You look more than ready for a break.” The older woman held out the glass and Emma smiled. The water was cool and tasted a little different than what she was used to, but she drank it all without stopping.

When she handed the empty glass back to Charlie, the other woman raised one eyebrow and said, “I guess I was right.”

Emma merely shrugged.

“Why don’t you just stack what you’ve split today and then bring Regina over for lunch? The wood isn’t going anywhere, and as long as you’re working for me, you eat and drink free, so take advantage of it. Take your time.”

Emma nodded and agreed, and Charlie left her alone.

 

As she carried the wood splits and piled them on top of what Charlie’s nephew had started, she wondered if they had been missed back in Storybrooke. Then she wondered if time even worked the same between worlds. She thought back to a story she had read once where fairies had kidnapped a human child. When the child was returned seven years later, his parents swore only a month had passed. If Regina’s theory was correct and they were in a world that paralleled their own, did time turn differently here? Emma’s heart began to race when she thought of spending years away from Henry and her parents. She was grateful for the breeze that picked up, cooling her as she stacked wood. She let her mind wander to all the times she had wanted to run back to Boston and she felt her stomach tighten and wrench. Working as she was, she didn’t notice the dark clouds begin to form overhead. It wasn’t until a bout of nausea gripped her that she stopped to take a deep breath. If August had just stayed away from Neil ... a wave of anger tore through her and she hurled a piece of wood. Lightning cracked overhead and Emma jumped.

She stood there with the hair on her arms standing up, breathing fast and shallow. She looked up and watched the clouds disperse as her breathing settled down. As the sky changed from angry dark grey to pleasantly blue once more, she sat on the stump to catch her breath and pondered the association between her emotions and the weather oddities. Once her heart had resumed it’s natural beat, Emma finished stacking the wood she had split, carried the axe and sharpening stone to the steps of the house and went back to the B&B to collect Regina.

 

When Emma entered the big house, she spotted Callie just coming down the hall. “Callie, have you seen Regina?”

The teen nodded. “I saw her an hour ago. She said she was going to read upstairs.”

“Thanks!” Emma flashed a smile and headed up the wooden staircase. The door to their room was unlocked, but the room itself was dim. It took Emma’s eyes a minute to adjust, and she soon found her lying on her side on the bed, fast asleep.

 

Emma smiled slightly and advanced on the bed. She circled around and laid down on the other side, facing the woman who had made her life hell for so many months. None of that mattered now. Emma curled her right arm under her head and was content to simply watch Regina sleep for another couple of minutes. Finally, she reached out and tenderly stroked one dark eyebrow. She brushed an errant dark hair out of the way and lightly brushed the back of her fingers across Regina’s cheek. Her skin was as warm and soft and as smooth as Emma had suspected it was. Feeling daring, Emma let her fingers trail down the side of Regina’s neck, over the curve of her shoulder and along her arm. How could she not have seen how beautiful this woman was all this time?

“This is the nicest way I’ve been woken in a long time.” Regina’s voice was husky, and yet soft.

Emma felt the urge to pull her hand away, but the urge to rest her hand on Regina’s hip was greater. “We wasted so much time fighting. You really are beautiful, you know.”

Regina smiled softly. “I’d say you were a charmer, but neither of us wants to have _that_ discussion.

Emma made a face. “I’d rather leave my parents out of this conversation and just enjoy how you feel under my fingers, thank you.”

Regina hummed in agreement. “I think I rather like being woken up this way.”

“As much as I enjoy being the waker?” Emma smiled.

“Even more.”

 

Regina reached out a hand and tucked a blonde hair behind Emma’s ear. “Tell me again why it took us so long?”

“Because we were both stubborn, proud and too caught up in head games?”

“That sounds about right. So what are we going to do about it now?”

“I know what I _want_ to do...”

“Does it involve food?”

“Maybe later. But right now it involves lips and ears, and more lips...”

“More showing, Sheriff Swan, less talking.”

 

Emma sat up and walked on her knees across the bed closer to Regina, who had rolled on to her back. The blonde threw one leg over and suddenly she was straddling the woman who had tried to kill her. But all that was forgotten now as she took a well manicured hand in each of her own and held them on either side of the pillow. She leaned slowly forward and brushed a ghost of a kiss across lips she had admired for months.

“My lips are yours, but I need my hands free.” Regina whispered.

Emma had seen the panic flicker through those warm brown eyes, and she knew there was more to the complex woman than what she let the world see. But she let go willingly and leaned in for another kiss. 

Regina certainly knew how to kiss a woman. She was gentle, and yet demanding, all at once. When Emma pulled back to take a deep breath, Regina rose up slightly and nibbled at the base of her neck.

Emma groaned. “You’re killing me in the best way...”

In answer, Regina flipped them both and it was she that was straddling the blonde woman. Then she captured those lips beneath hers and left no doubt who was now in charge.

“Miss Swan...”

“It never sounded so sexy when you said it before.” Emma quipped with a smile.

“Sexy, is it? Then I shall have to say it more often.” Regina took Emma’s right hand in her own and kissed the knuckles that had so recently gripped an axe. “I adore your hands, did you know that?”

Emma only shook her head slightly, fascinated by this new side of the former mayor.

“It’s true.” Regina put that hand beside the pillow, her own fingers woven between Emma’s. “I always thought you had the sexiest fingers. Long and powerful and I’m sure very capable.” She took the sheriff’s left hand and kissed the back of it before holding it beside the pillow as well. “Any problems, so far, my dear?”

 

“None, my Queen.” Emma flashed an adorable smile to show it was meant as a term of endearment.

Regina purred in satisfaction and want. “I never told you that being addressed in that manner had ... an effect on me.” She wriggled her hips ever so slightly to demonstrate.

Emma’s eyes slowly fluttered as she felt her abdomen tighten in anticipation. “So just what does my queen plan to do with me now?”

“Oh, I plan to do a little of this...” Regina found her blonde captive’s pulse point and kissed it, suckled it and kissed it again.

Emma knew she was being marked but she couldn’t care less as her heat grew and blossomed. She felt Regina’s hands leave hers to skip and tease down her sides, only to slip under the hem of her shirt.

“You’re wearing far too many clothes for your queen to ravish you properly, my dear. Up, and remove it.” Regina plucked at Emma’s shirt.

Emma sat up, pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor.

Regina pushed gently at her shoulders until Emma resumed her reclining position.

 

Regal fingers skipped lightly down pale, muscular sides, barely touching the skin. Emma arched her back, reaching for more. Regina tenderly kissed a path from her neck down to the space between her breasts. While her right hand palmed and tweaked a responsive nipple, she lowered her head and took the other between her lips.

“Reg...oh God!” 

Regina chuckled around the nipple that she was currently sucking. She was long-skilled at the seduction of women, but Emma was the first woman she had genuinely wanted to pleasure. The first she had allowed herself to feel something for. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and focused on the task at hand.

 

The seduction of Emma Swan.

 

Her teeth scraped gently as she pulled back to admire the pert nipple now standing at attention. She chuckled. “I have never had anyone call me that before, but I am glad that it was you first. Did you enjoy that?”

Emma only whimpered and writhed beneath her.

Regina chuckled again and rose to her knees. “Do as your Queen wishes, Emma, don’t move, and you’ll be rewarded. Do you understand?”

Emma nodded.

Regina slowly unbuttoned her own shirt, never taking her eyes from Emma’s. She chuckled again as Emma’s eyes widened as the dark purple lace came into view. She felt her own desire build as the other woman’s breath hitched. But instead of giving in, she shimmied off the bed and slowly peeled her jeans from her body. She knew she was driving Emma crazy, the pale skin was flushed with want. She knew she wanted this as well, and suddenly she was glad all she could get was dark purple, lacy intimates. It was worth it to watch Emma’s reactions.

 

“I’ll need the rest of your clothes off as well, Emma.” She spoke quietly, dropping her voice just a little as she spoke Emma’s name, her first name that she had so rarely used thus far, and the one she knew the other woman craved to hear her speak.

Emma shed her remaining clothes and laid down again.

Regina lowered herself over the blonde’s hips and stretched her entire length, laying on the other woman. She let her lips graze and kiss and suckle wherever they touched, while her hands stroked and palmed and danced over skin that was hot with desire. When she slid lower, she heard Emma whimper above. Regina’s hands slid lower and slipped around to cup Emma’s ass, and the blonde woman gasped.

Regina lowered her head to place a well-aimed kiss to a very flushed bundle of nerves just as she stroked her thumbs across tight cheeks.

“Oh...Regina...” Emma gasped and wove her fingers into Regina’s hair. “I need...”

“Shh, I know. Shh.”

Regina wasted no more time but continued to suckle and lap at Emma’s most sensitive spot until she knew the blonde was ready. She carefully but swiftly slid two fingers deep into Emma. Choreographing her suckling with her thrusts, she felt Emma grip her fingers deep inside and knew her orgasm was coming.  

Emma felt it slam into her with the force of a tsunami, crashing through her until all she could do was ride out the high of her climax and try not to scream Regina’s name to the ceiling.

 


	12. Plunge Into Honesty

**_ Underneath The Surface Chapter 12 _ **

**_ Plunge Into Honesty _ **

 

Regina listened to the water beat a rhythm in the shower and smiled to herself. She knew their relationship had climbed a major hurdle, and yet something had clicked into place when Emma had moaned her name. It reminded her of one of Henry’s games. For every level passed, the player unlocked some clue or reward. She felt very rewarded by the amount of trust Emma was placing in her. She knew just how far Emma had come since her atrocious yellow car had rolled into Storybrooke. Back then, she hadn’t even planned on staying and every time things got tough, she looked ready to bolt back to Boston. Henry had been her anchor at first, and when Emma had stopped looking like a frightened deer, Regina had wondered what kept her then.

Now she knew. It had been her.

By that time, Regina herself was starting to feel something for Emma. A variety of things, actually. Irritation, grudging respect, understanding every now and then, and by the time Henry took that near-fatal bite of the turnover, she was terrifyingly attracted to her son’s birth mother.

Regina shook her head in bemusement.

 

She still wasn’t sure what made her spike those turnovers. Frustration? Impatience? Whatever it had been, it had nearly killed her son. And yet it had changed everything. By the time she had absorbed that spell at the wishing well, her life was careening between greed, power and lesser-shades of evil. It had all been a very strange dance.

But where was she headed now?

She knew for certain that she wanted a relationship with Emma, and trust was going to be a big part of that. Trust and honesty. She would have to be as authentic as she could remember how to be. In a twisted kind of way, she hoped they would have enough time here in Desperation Lake to build a solid footing before they had to go back and deal with the two idiots. Here they could be themselves, and who they wanted to be, without expectations, accusations and mistrust. 

Here, she could love Emma as she should have been all along. Faithfully, without question and without reservation.

 

Under the hot spray, Emma leaned her head against the shower wall and tried to figure out how her day had gotten away from her. She hadn’t planned on seducing Regina, but the woman had just looked too good...and then she had turned the tables on her. In the end, Regina put Emma first.

She stood under the water and let the pounding water-pressure beat against her. She wasn’t used to being put first, not by family or by her lovers. The woman in the other room had begun to feel like both. That damned portal might have done Emma a favor, despite how much she missed Henry and her parents. Here at least, there was no expectation that she could save the world, no curses to break, no complicated relationships with blue fairies, nuns or town drunks that were actually dwarves.

Just a complex, thrilling, heady, intricate relationship that she and Regina were trying to forge. Emma shook her head, rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and turned the water off.

 

When she re-entered the room wrapped in a towel, she went and sat on the bed beside Regina, and tucked one pale leg under her.

The former Mayor arched a delicate dark eyebrow. “Looking to be ravished again with fewer obstructions?”

Emma smiled. “Sounds like a perfect afternoon, but maybe after we eat?” She smiled. “Actually, I wanted to thank you.”

“For?”

“For earlier, for being patient with me since we got sucked through the portal, for giving me a chance, for...everything.” Emma felt her eyes fill with tears and she turned her head.

Regina saw the rare show of emotion and turned Emma’s head back to face her. “If we are going to forge any kind of a relationship, it will have to be built on honesty. I would like to think you have nothing to lose by showing me that the mighty Sheriff of Storybrooke iscapable of crying.” Regina wanted to say more, but instead she simply wrapped her arms around Emma and ran her fingers over her damp hair.

 

After a few minutes of resting like this, Emma sighed heavily. “I don’t really want to move.”

“If you want to eat at all for the rest of the day, my dear, you’re going to have to.” Regina kissed Emma’s forehead. “We can come back here after lunch andtalk if you’d like, or read.”

“I guess I’d better get dressed then.”

“Unless you want to show off to all of Desperation Lake, but then I might have to kill anyone who touched you.” Regina quipped with a teasing smile.

“I’d like to avoid meeting the sheriff’s department here for as long as I can. I’ll get dressed.” Emma sighed and hugged Regina one more time before getting off to the bed.

 

Soon enough they were crossing the road to the diner.

 

They slid into a booth on the left side of the diner and Regina looked around, mentally comparing The Sneezing Moose with Granny’s. Only a few people openly studied them. It felt very different to able to come into a diner and not have animated discussions stop because the “Evil Queen” had arrived. Regina decided she rather liked it. A long counter sat on the opposite side of the room. She could see a pie waiting under a glass dome and wondered if it was apple. She could smell chili cooking, presumably in the back and heard the faint sounds of cutlery being put away. A typical diner.

 

Emma had sat across from her, facing her, and smiled as Charlie stepped over to their table.

“Emma! This must be...”

“Charlie, this is Regina. Regina, this is Charlie.”

Regina smiled up at Charlie. “I’ve heard a bit about you already. Thank you for keeping Emma out of trouble this morning.”

There was a snort from across the table.

Charlie smiled at both of them. “Lunch special today, or something else?”

“I’ll have the special, thanks.” Regina answered. “And water, please.”

“Make that two, Charlie.”

She nodded and left them alone.

 

“Regina, something happened earlier that I wanted to talk to you about, out back, when I was cutting wood.” Emma said quietly.

Regina shook her head slightly and looked up. Charlie was only a couple of feet away from their table with two glasses of water in her hands.

“Emma, thanks for taking on that woodpile so soon.”

“No problem. Would it be okay with you if I worked on it for a few hours every morning? Maybe after my run?”

Charlie put the glasses down and nodded. “Sure thing. That’ll leave you free to spend the afternoons with your lady-love here.” Charlie winked, smiled and went back to the kitchen.

Regina glanced quickly around the diner, but no one was paying attention, much less eavesdropping. “It seems that Desperation Lake is a little more open-minded than we expected.

Emma nodded and sipped at her water. 

“We need to be careful what we talk about outside of our room.” Regina murmured. At a conversational volume, she added, “So Patty and I were able to talk about her garden this morning. I think we’re going to be putting in herb garden and a few edible beds as well. She wants to grow some vegetables. I think it would be good for her business as well as she and Callie.”

Emma nodded and listened, content to let Regina carry the conversation.

 

By the time their lunch had arrived, Emma was quite sure that Regina was excited about the prospect of helping Patty. Her copper coloured eyes lit up in a way Emma hadn’t seen before, she smiled easily and was more relaxed.

“You enjoy gardening, don’t you?” Emma asked as she cut into her fish.

“I do. Plants don’t make judgements. They don’t care who you were, they don’t question your motivations and they don’t look for schemes.” Regina said quietly. “I’ve always enjoyed a certain skill with plants. Mother could never understand why I enjoyed it. She said I needn’t have concerned myself with it, we had help for that. But I didn’t dare tell her that I enjoyed coaxing something fresh and alive from the dirt.” 

“I think I understand, knowing what I do of your mother.”

They ate in silence for a little while. Regina finished first and put her cutlery down. “I know that you developed a certain skill-set that made you a good bounty hunter, but if you could have done anything, your upbringing and money being no concern, what do you think you might have done?”

 

Emma drank from her glass deep in thought. Finally she answered the question. “Honestly, I have no idea. I think about that sometimes. I used to play a mental game with myself when I was in a good place when I was a kid. I knew I didn’t want to be a teacher, most kids drive me buggy. I have no idea how Snow taught for 28 years and enjoyed it.”

Regina only shrugged slightly and gave her the ghost of a smile, and Emma knew that Regina was thinking about the curse and the lives she had given her subjects.

“Can I ask you a question? About the curse?” Emma almost whispered.

Regina nodded and pushed her empty plate aside.

“How did you give all of them the lives you did?”

Regina leaned forward and lowered her voice so only Emma could hear her. “It was a lot of planning. You already know that Rumple created the curse, but I wanted those people to have certain lives. I thoughtfor a long time about revenge, what kind of lives they could lead that would bring me the most satisfaction. I’m not proud now of what I did, Emma, and I’m sorry that my actions brought you the kind of life you had.”

“I don’t see it that way.” Emma had finished her meal and stacked her plate on top of Regina’s. “The way I see it, you started something in motion that dictated your future, yeah. But my parents made the decision to put me in that wardrobe.Marco, I mean, Gepetto, played his part in the deception, and so did the Blue Fairy. You didn’t make any of them deceive my parents. August abandoned me when he was supposed to be looking out for me. You didn’t do that, it was his decision. My life was one series of screw-ups after another. Unless you specifically put a curse on me, none of those things are your fault.”

Regina shook her head.

Emma reached across the table and took Regina’s hand as she continued. “I’ve always believed in free will. I was dealt a crappy hand, but I made the best of it. I took on the world on my terms. When people tried to see me in a way that wasn’t right, I made them see me for who I was. I took ownership for my own successes, my own happiness and my own decisions. I don’t even blame my parents for abandoning me as much as I used to.”

“You don’t?”

“Not as much, no. I do still sometimes, yeah. I know they sent me away for reasons they thought were right, but after they were told that I would come back and break the curse, bottom line was, they sent me away so I could save them. They started all that Saviour crap for their own purposes. Can you imagine who I would be today if I had grown up without the curse?”

Regina snorted. “You would have grown up a coddled princess, wanting for nothing, spoiled.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Ugh. No thanks. I like me better this way, thanks.”

“Indeed.”

 

Charlie came back to the table just as they finished their quiet conversation. “Well, how was lunch, ladies?”

“It was very good, thank you!” Regina answered for them both as Emma nodded.

“Emma, don’t feel obligated to start at sun-up. You come on over whenever you want.”

“Thanks, Charlie.”

Charlie smiled. “Remember, while you work for me, it’s on the house. Go and enjoy the rest of your day.” She winked at Regina and went back behind the counter.

Emma shook her head and smiled. “She’s a little like Granny and Red all rolled into one, isn’t she?”

Regina gave an eye roll of her own. “Frightening. Let’s go back to our room and see if we can learn anything from the book we picked up.”

 


	13. Flavors of Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An important chapter, even though it may not seem like it.

Flavors of Hell

 

**_**Authors Note:  I apologize for this short chapter, but it was necessary. I tried making it longer, but my Muse all but insisted this be a stand alone. Although it may not seem like it, this will be an important chapter. I hope you like it.**_ **

 

 

Back at their room at the B&B, Emma shut the door, locked it and collapsed on the bed. She let her lower legs and feet dangle over the edge. She laid that way for a minute before sitting up and starting to unlace her boots.

Regina, true to her upbringing, had already removed her shoes and left them by the door. She retrieved the book on magic from her night stand and sat on the bed, back scooted against the headboard.

“Did you want to read the book together, or you read one night, or...?” Regina let the question trail.

“I guess we can try reading the same page, unless you read faster than me and I drive you crazy.”

Regina shrugged and patted the bed beside her.

Emma, having finally unlaced and removed her boots, settled beside Regina and sighed.

“Tired?”

“Not used to chopping wood after a run, I guess.”

“You should pace yourself. Perhaps run a little less now that you have the firewood to burn off stress.”

“I think you’re right.”

 

Regina said no more, but made sure she had a notebook and pencil nearby and opened the book.

They found they read at pretty much the same speed, but it was when they were on page 20, when Regina asked if Emma was done reading that page, that she realized Emma’s head was leaning against her shoulder.

She had been so focused on the book, she hadn’t noticed her breathing change.

Regina smiled and carried on reading, making notes occasionally while Emma napped on her shoulder.

 

Emma had ceased being aware of her surroundings. Somewhere near the beginning of page 20, she found her eyelids sliding shut and unwilling to keep them open. She had a comfortable headrest and she was more tired than she had been willing to admit. One minute she was awake, and then...

 

Then she was standing at the top of a narrow flight of stairs. The stairway looked vaguely familiar, with peeling strips of faded white paint, a hand rail broken off halfway down and one swinging, dimly-lit, bare bulb overhead.

_Emma....Emma...._

The voice whispered her name and sent chills racing across her arms. Her hands instinctively came up to her forearms and she discovered she was touching flannel. She looked down to see herself wearing a pink and white night gown she’d had when she was 12.

 

With a flash, she realized the scene, the moment, was all too familiar. She remembered this...the fear gripped her stomach just as it had back then and she tried very hard to forget.

There was no forgetting, as her feet carried her forward and down.

She didn’t want to go lower, she wanted to stay upstairs, but she continued down...down....

_I’m waiting Emma, be a good girl and come down..._

 

No! She wanted to scream, but all that came out was a strangled, weak whimper.

Her feet carried her further down the stairs and the bulb swung more wildly, throwing her shadow around the stairwell.

_Emma...you know why you need to do this...you know I won’t hurt you..._

In the back of her mind, Emma knew the voice lied. She knew what waited for her down there.

When she was nearly at the bottom, the light sputtered and swung more wildly. She felt the little hairs on her arms all stand up and no matter how warm the flannel was, she grew colder and colder.

But try as she might, she could not stop her downward descent.

The light went out for a few seconds, coming back to life suddenly in a blinding flash. Emma was momentarily relieved until she saw the pale face at the bottom of the stairs, peeking around the corner at her with a wide, evil smile.

She screamed for all she was worth.

 

 

 

TBC


	14. Agonizing Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter explains a lot of Emma's personality and quirks.

**_*Authors Note: The first paragraph is only a reminder of where I left all of you, my dear readers, dangling. I should warn you, this chapter is a difficult one, and if you are a victim of abuse, you may not want to read this one. If you choose to skip over it, know that I understand. For those of you who are wondering how I could write such a horrible thing into Emma’s past, I did it to explain a large part of Emma. I don’t think it is outside the realm of reality, as a good friend of mine had experiences very similar to what I’ve written. Unfortunately, this kind of abuse and the psyche’s reaction to it is all too common._ **

**_Please let me know what you think. I find that I write faster with feedback!**_ **

 

Her feet carried her further down the stairs and the bulb swung more wildly, throwing her shadow around the stairwell.

_Emma...you know why you need to do this...you know I won’t hurt you..._

In the back of her mind, Emma knew the voice lied. She knew what waited for her down there.

When she was nearly at the bottom, the light sputtered and swung more wildly. She felt the little hairs on her arms all stand up and no matter how warm the flannel was, she grew colder and colder.

But try as she might, she could not stop her downward descent.

The light went out for a few seconds, coming back to life suddenly in a blinding flash. Emma was momentarily relieved until she saw the pale face at the bottom of the stairs, peeking around the corner at her with a wide, evil smile.

She screamed for all she was worth.

 

_And now, the continuation..._

 

_Emma..._

_Emma..._

 

“Emma! Wake up!”

 

Emma jolted awake, panting and pale.

Regina was holding both her hands and peering at her with a frightened look. “Emma, are you okay? It’s over now.”

Emma shook her head and denied it in a small voice. “It’ll never be over.”

Regina released her hands, but pulled her into her arms. She stroked her hair, trying to soothe the frightened and fragile tone away. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now. I’m here. You’re safe now...”

And that was it. Emma’s heart broke all over again.

 

She remembered with sharp clarity the nightmare that wasn’t, and how she had felt going down into that basement against her will, but her feet always carried her there, following some other command, other than her own. She felt her tears slip down her cheeks, silently at first, but a crushing pain in her chest began to bubble up inside her. When it burst out of her, it came with a great, wet sob. She wept for the little girl that she had been, but was never truly allowed to just...be. She wept for all the pain she had felt, the horror she had been witness to and she wept for the memories she would forever be haunted by. 

 

She leaned into Regina, fell against her really, and wrapped her pale fingers in Regina’s shirt, shaken to the core by the memories she did not want. She would never get that gruesome face out of her mind. The pale, leering, expecting face that knew exactly what was in store for the little girl.

The little girl that should have been surrounded by love and forests, and learning the ways of the court. Not terrified by a monster that used her for its entertainment and giddy pleasures.

The adult sobbed because she felt everything all over again, so fresh and crystalline that she was reliving every second of her twelve year old horror. 

Regina simply held her, stroked her back and her hair and waited for her pain to ebb like some agonizing tide.

 

It took time, but in the end, Emma’s tears slowed and her sobs turned to hiccup laden hitches. She straightened and scrubbed the tears from her face with the heel of her hand, embarrassed that she’d fallen apart again.

“Thank you...I don’t know what’s come over me.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Emma’s head whipped back and forth and her eyes nearly bugged out. “No! I mean...I can’t. It’s too...”

Regina put out a hand. “It’s all right. You don’t have to. I understand.”

“No offence, Regina, but you can never understand, because to understand that, you would have had to have lived it, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” Emma tried for a regretful tone, but she bolted for the bathroom, slammed the door and spent the next few minutes throwing up her lunch.

 

Regina went to the door when she heard Emma retching. She stood there for a minute debating with herself. Did she go in and hold her hair, try to be a friend? Or should she stay on this side of the door and give Emma space? On one hand, if it had been her, she would have preferred her privacy. Being ill was, after all, an intensely personal act. On the other hand, Emma was not Regina and had spent the last 29 years of her life doing things for herself alone.

Regina took a deep breath, turned the knob and went to hold blonde tresses back from the toilet bowl.

 

To her surprise, Emma didn’t refuse the help, or the cool cloth she handed her a little while later. When Emma straightened up and sat back against the door-jam, Regina wrapped her hands around her own forearms and sat on the side of the tub. “I didn’t think you should be alone. Leaving you to your space was not what you need. You’ve spent enough years being alone.”

Emma nodded slowly. “You’re right. Thank you.” 

They stayed like that for a minute more before Regina stood. “I’ll let you brush your teeth. Would you like help off the floor?”

Emma nodded and Regina held out a hand.When Emma was on her feet, Regina rested her hand on one of Emma’s shoulders. “I may not truly understand, but I am a good listener, despite what our history may dictate.”

Regina stepped past Emma and closed the bathroom door gently behind her.

When Emma had washed her face and brushed her teeth, she came out into the room again and sat on the bed with her back to Regina. She sat very still, hands in her lap, gaze on the wooden floor beneath her feet. “One of the homes I spent time in...I was twelve I guess, it started out okay at first, but then...he started creeping me out. He would put my lunch together for school, and he’d leave me notes in the lunch bag, telling me I was his special girl, and that he loved me. They never felt right to me. He got me this night gown, it was pink and white, asked me to wear it. He still hadn’t done anything I could report him for, but I wanted to keep everyone happy, so I didn’t have to go back to the orphanage, you know?”

 

Regina could say nothing, she watched Emma’s back, sure that she knew what was coming.

 

“One night, when we were watching t.v, he got up and went down the basement, leaving me alone in the living room. After a while, I heard him calling to me. Not loud or anything, kind of mocking, kind of ... softly. I went to the top of the basement stairs and he was still calling me. I didn’t want to go down there, my gut told me it was a bad idea, even at that age, I knew to trust my gut. But it was like my feet weren’t working right, I don’t know why. As long as he called my name, I went down those damn stairs. I couldn’t help myself. I was almost at the bottom when he peeked around the corner and wiggled his finger at me and grinned. I told him I didn’t want to....but he chuckled and said he had something he wanted to show me...a surprise.”

 

Regina felt her chest grow tight and she put a hand over her own mouth to hold back the gasp.

 

“He took my hand and led me around the corner. The lights were weird, dimmer, but a different color, you know? There were other people there, wearing robes and masks. Hetold me they were going to put on a play, just for me, and gave me a drink. I still remember the cup. It was a pink juice cup, plastic, like a toddler would use. I drained the cup like he told me to, it was apple juice. Then he had me sit down on a chair while the others stood around watching me. It was creepy and made me feel weird, but then I started getting sleepy. I know I fell asleep, but... I woke up once... I couldn’t move my arms...there was someone moving above me and I hurt so much...”

 

Regina bit her hand to keep in the sob. She knew exactly what young Emma had been subjected to. She scooted closer to Emma, sat behind her and wrapped her arms around the shattered Sheriff. She rested the side of her face against Emma’s back and wept silently. 

“Emma, I understand now, so much. Now I understand why you spent so much of your life running, I get it. Why you don’t trust, why you don’t really care for apple juice...even why you don’t like pink. I understand.”

Emma inhaled deeply, relieved she had finally told someone. “Yeah, I guess it does explain those things. When he was busted for drugs a few months after that, I was so relieved. I never told anyone, but going back to the orphanage was just such a Godsend, you know?”

Regina raised her head off of Emma’s back but kept her arms loosely clasped around her. “Wait, you’ve never told _anyone_ this? For seventeen years? And it went on for months?”

She felt Emma nod.

Regina continued. “You know you were drugged, most likely hypnotized too. You know none of that was your fault, none of that was right. Do you think you were...”

Emma shook her head and put her hands over Regina’s. “No, I doubt I was the first. Looking back, it seems too well thought out. But I don’t know what happened after I was taken away. I never looked. For a long time I wanted to kill him. A part of me still does I guess.”

“I know I certainly do.” Regina mumbled. “He’ll need all sorts of Divine help if I ever find him while I have magic in my veins!”

Emma smiled sadly at the support and took all the comfort she could from the feel of Regina’s fingers weaving between her own.

 

They sat that way for a long time, both of them silent, Regina offering comfort and safety, and Emma soaking it up like a sea sponge left dry after the tide went out.

 

**TBC**

 

 


	15. Let The Tide Carry It

**Let The Tide Carry It**

 

**_**Author’s Note: I had to do some research for this one. Just because it’s fan fiction doesn’t mean it deserves less than original fiction. So I took my time with this one. I wanted to let it breathe a little before I released it to the world. This is the calm before their storm. Things are going to pick up next chapter. Action, intrigue and no triggers. I hope you enjoy it.**_ **

 

After the emotional start to their afternoon, Emma wanted, needed, to get back on track.“So did you learn anything new from the book?”

Regina scooted around to sit beside Emma while still keeping one arm wrapped around her. “Actually, yes. Although it pains me to admit it, either there are things I do not know about magic or this world’s magic is different.”

Emma glanced at her out of the corner of one eye, surprised to hear a little Mayoral sass creep back.

“For the sake of my pride, I am going to assume that this world’s magic is different. If that book is to believed, at its base, magic here is as ours is. Guided by intent. Here however, magic relies more on tools, ritual and symbolism than on intent and emotions. They rely more on candles, poppets and spells. Potions are equally important. The hard part will be getting magic, separately and collectively, to build to a level that we can not only open a portal, but open the portal to _home_.”

“Then we take it one step at a time. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you...something happened while I wassplitting wood...My emotions kind of ran away from me. I didn’t realize it right away but the more frustrated I got, the harder the wind blew. Seeing black clouds come up out of nowhere made me realize **_I_** was doing it. So if we consider that along with your purple eyes this morning, we have to assume that our magic _does_ work here, and it’s tied into emotion. But, Regina, I don’t want to have to make you mad to get back.”

 

Regina chuckled. “No, you don’t.”

“But I have an idea.” Emma began. “When I brought us here, mistakenly, there was a wind that got stronger when you touched me. I think you touching me increased my magic.”

“Like when we were fighting the Wraith?”

“Yeah, and if that’s the case, then, we might not have to resort to making you angry!”

“All we have to do is get you hot and bothered. Is that what you’re saying?” Regina smirked. She chuckled then and gave Emma a one-armed hug to show she’d been teasing. “Come sit up here on the bed, across from me, I want to show you something.”

 

With Regina leaning against the headboard, and Emma across from her, Regina reached out and took Emma’s hands in her own. “I want you to close your eyes and think about nothing but the two of us. Not fighting, not being intimate, just our feelings for each other, and how far we’ve come.”

Emma raised an eyebrow.

“Emma, trust me.”

Emma took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She thought about how she wanted to keep Regina safe, how well they got along now, how much she wanted a relationship with the woman who used to drive her crazy. She felt a tingle in her hands and she opened her eyes to find Regina looking back at her.

 

 

“Do you feel that?”

Emma nodded.

“Hold on to what you’re feeling and look down at our hands.”

Emma glanced down and was struck speechless for a moment. Their joined hands were surrounded by a pale blue aura. Not as bright as they had in the mines, but it was there nonetheless.

Regina began to move her thumb lightly down the length of Emma’s fingers. “Now, think of the times you have seen Gold and I produce fireballs, so that you know what it should look like.”

 

Emma felt Regina’s touch and felt the other woman’s warmth and power.

“Now will a small flame here in the center of your left hand. Envision it, expect it to appear, push it just a little if you have to.”

Emma stared at the palm of her hand, trying to envisiona small flame there. She reached inside herself for the magic she knew she had, but she couldn’t find it.She watched the faint blue aura begin to fade. “Damn it! It was never this hard before, Regina!” Emma pulled her hands away and bolted off the bed as if something had bit her.

“Storybrooke literally sat on magic, Emma. It was easier there because of the crystals. Here, we’re going to have to start fresh, from a different standpoint.” Regina tucked a lock of hair behind one ear and pushed up her sleeves. “Emma, you said it yourself, when you get agitated, extreme magic takes over, so you need to calm down.”

Emma was pacing the length of the room while she grumbled.

Regina took a deep breath and stepped in front of her. “Emma...you need to calm down, Dear. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.” Regina took Emma’s face gently in both her hands and tenderly kissed the blonde. Instantly, all the frustration leaked away.

“Now, come and lay down, there’s something easier I want you to try.”

 

Emma allowed herself to be led to the bed.

“Now, lie on your back and get comfortable.”

“Will you be joining me?” Emma said with a lascivious grin.

“Not yet. One step at a time.” Regina smiled back and retrieved the chair, then set it beside the bed, then sat down. “Now, I want you to set your hands wherever they’re comfortable. Just focus on your breathing and my voice. What do you think of when you think about air?”

“I think of gentle breezes in the summer, clouds and fans.”

“All right, that’s good.” Regina answered in a quiet, even tone. “So picture yourself on the beach on a nice, sunny day. The wind is lifting your hairever so slightly. There is a flag nearby and it’s waving in the breeze. Feel yourself breathing...in...out...in...out.”

 

Regina watched Emma’s abdomen rise and fall with the motion of her breaths.

“Now feel the sunshine on your skin. It’s warm and powerful. You can almost feel yourself tanning under it’s rays. It’s warm and yellow and it makes you feel so good. Just picture yourself opening your arms to it while you breathe in...and out...and in...and out.”

The old house didn’t creak or shift in the silence, as if it was listening.

“Now imagine yourself walking over to the water and walking in it a little ways. It’s cool and soothing, as blue as the sky. It will support you, if you were to go deep enough, but stay where you are for now. Just be content and feel it take away all your stresses and worries for now. Breathe all the bad emotions out into the water. Let the tide carry it all away while you breathe.”

Regina shifted in the chair and crossed her legs while she watched Emma breathe peacefully.

 

“Envision a little fire there on the beach, with the flames dancing and popping from the driftwood.The flames are yellow, like the sun, and they’re orange and red, crackling and sparking. Feel the power there. Now wiggle your toes into the sand. Feel the warm grains slip between your toes. That sandretains heat and power from the earth, it is millions of years old. Absorb that power through your skin. Imagine yourself laying on the sand, soaking up all the ancient power, all that heat, all the energy while you simply lay there and breathe.”

Regina noticed Emmawas laying with her palms up and shesmiled slightly as she got an idea.

 

“Now imagine yourself looking down at your right hand, palm up and willing a small blue flame there.”

A flame appeared in the upturned palm of Emma’s right hand.

“Now, when I tell you, you’ll open your eyes, and in your mind, the flame will continue to be strong and steady, but small. Stay lying down, but look at the palm of your right hand. Open your eyes now.”

 

Emma stayed in her reclined position but looked down and smiled. “Regina...” Emma smiled brightly. “I did it!”

“Indeed you did, Dear.” Regina smiled proudly. “Now keep it there, don’t lose focus. Sit up and maintain the flame. You can do this.”

Emma carefully and slowly sat up with the tiny blue flame in her hand, marvelling at it until it flickered and finally sputtered out.

In a flash, she was up off the bed and launching herself at Regina, full of joy.

Regina laughed and returned Emma’s embrace. “I see now where Henry gets it from.”

They laughed and celebrated together.

 

“But how did I do it this time and not before?” Emma asked as she sat back down on the bed.

“What did you feel?”

“I felt...peaceful.”

Regina smiled. “You were truly and properly relaxed. When you allow yourself to go into that space, you open the way for magic to come forward. Because yours is Elemental magic, I had you envision yourself in a situation where you could be open to all the elements. You made it easier for the magic to come to the surface.”

“You had a lot to do with it too.”

“I only guided you, Dear. You just had to get out of your own way.” Regina smiled gently and stepped into Emma’s space. “Congratulations.” She snaked her fingers into Emma’s hair and bent to kiss her.

 

A knock at their door stopped them both and Callie’s voice called out from the hallway, “Regina? Emma? There’s someone here to see you.”

 

**_TBC_ **

 


	16. Tidal Pool of Guilt

**_Tidal Pool of Guilt_ **

 

**_**Author’s notes: The first time I wrote this chapter, it wasn’t right. It was too forced and too rushed. So I scrapped it and re-wrote it. But life doesn’t work like we want, so I had to let the chapter and the story percolate for a while. I hope that you, the reader, enjoy this chapter. Paradoxalpoised has become a great brainstorming partner and beta reader. She has become more of a co-writer actually, and I owe her a great debt. She knows where I want to go with this epic, and her insights have become so very valuable in keeping me on track, that I cannot thank her enough. Thank you Paradoxalpoised, for being the other half of my writing brain so far away.**_ **

 

 

Regina and Emma looked at each other with confusion. 

“Who would be here to see us?” Regina asked.

Emma shrugged and went to open the door. “Thanks, Callie. We’ll be right down.”

“Okay, Mom asked me to send you to the dining room.”

 

When Emma and Regina got to the dining room, they were surprised to see Charlie sitting at the table with Patty. They took seats beside each other as Patty got up and poured coffee for them.

“Did you miss us, Charlie?” Emma teased with a smile.

“Absolutely! You two lovebirds make my old heart skip a beat!” The diner owner chuckled and continued. “Seriously though, I thought I’d come have coffee with the three of you. I didn’t have a chance to ask earlier, how areyou settling in?”

“We’re doing okay I guess.”

“Sometimes it’s as though we only arrived yesterday, sometimes it feels longer.” Regina added, very aware of how long they had been in Desperation Lake.

“I think you’re fitting in wonderfully.” Patty joined in the conversation as she put filled mugs in front of them. “I told Charlie about our gardening plans, Regina.”

“I told her she should grow vegetables a couple of years ago.” Charlie threw in. “But Callie wasn’t ready to be responsible and helpful then.”

“No, she was in that wild stage.” Patty agreed as she wrapped her hands around her mug.

“How bad could she have been?” Emma asked.

“Oh, she tried very hard to be a rebel. Started listening to music that was all anger, talked about getting a tattoo...all sorts of things. Lasted about three months I think. One night, instead of fighting with her again, I sat her down and started telling her about what her father and I were like when we were young. I didn’t make it a lecture, just started telling her about her father, and before I knew it, I’d been telling her about our youth for a couple of hours. She stopped listening to the weird music, never mentioned tattoos again...Just straightened right out.”

“Did you show her your tattoo?” Charlie asked her friend.

“Sure did. Maybe that was what broke her of it. Showing her that I had a wild side too.” Patty shrugged then got up, turned her back to the table and lifted the back of her shirt a couple of inches. In black ink inside a red heart were the words ‘Tommy and Patty Forever’

 

When Patty sat back down again, Emma chuckled. “How did she take that?”

“Her eyes bugged out a bit, and she admitted maybe I was a little cooler than she gave me credit for.” Patty chuckled.

“He was a good man, your Tommy.” Charlie placed a hand on Patty’s shoulder.

Patty nodded sadly. “He sure was. There aren’t too many left like him.”

“Tommy was killed a couple of years ago out in the bush. The tree he was cutting down twisted and fell in a way no one expected it to. He and a couple of other guys were out there. All of them knew what they were doing and were wearing safety equipment, but it was a big tree.” Charlie explained. “Patty and Callie have been on their own ever since.”

“We do what we can.” Patty said quietly.

 

“I see you have a tattoo as well, Emma?” Patty changed the topic.

Emma set the cup down that she had been holding with her left hand. “Yeah, I’ve had it a long time.”

“Any tattoos for you, Regina?” Charlie asked.

Regina smiled. “None for me. Making hard cider has always been more my thing.”

“Really? The Sneezing Moose doesn’t have hard cider...” Charlie’s voice trailed off as she got an idea. After half a minute, she asked, “So you make hard cider and you garden. What other wonderful things can you do?”

“Oh, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” Emma laughed.

They all joined in laughing while Regina playfully kicked the side of Emma’s foot under the table.

 

When the laughter had died down, Regina smiled at Charlie and said, “You must have been here in Desperation Lake a number of years. Were you born here?”

Charlie took a mouthful of her coffee before answering. “I was. My father was trying to avoid the draft down in the States, so he slipped across the border and hitchhiked until he came here. He found work as a logger, fell in love with my mother, who worked at the library and two years later, I was born.”

“So you must be pretty well versed in the town’s history, then.”

“Four generations of my family tree put their roots down here in Desperation Lake. There wasn’t much that happened in this town that my mother didn’t know. In her elder years, she would sit in her rocking chair on her porch and watch the town go by.”

“She would always welcome a visitor up to the porch for a cup.” Patty added. “She knew about the plants in the woods, too.”

“People would go to her for cures for everything from the clap to an unwanted pregnancy,” Charlie picked up the conversation again. “One hunter that used to come through every year swore she cured his cancer.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. There are labs all over the world working on a cure for it. A couple claim they’re close, and most of their research has been on plants found in the rain forest.” Patty addressed her friend.

 

“She sounds like she was a fascinating woman. I’ve wanted to grow echinacea for tea for a few years.”

“She kept a few notebooks. I’ll dig them out and let you take a look at them.” 

“Is there still a library in town?” Emma asked.

“First street on the right past the Sneezing Moose, down three blocks. It’s a century old house that’s been our library for at least ninety years.” Charlie replied. She peered into her cup, drained it and took it over to the sink. “Well, I should get back. Lord only knows what those teenagers will get into if I leave them alone too long. Patty, I’d like to come over next week and talk to Callie about a job if I could.”

“I think that’s a good idea, Charlie. Part time would be a better fit for her right now.”

Charlie nodded and turned to face Emma and Regina. “I’ll see you ladies for lunch tomorrow?”

Regina smiled. “I hope so. It was good to see you again.”

Charlie gave Patty a hug, clapped Emma on the shoulder and said, “See you tomorrow morning, Emma.”

“You bet.”

They listened to Charlie let herself out the front door before Emma turned to Patty. “Were you able to brainstorm that list of renovations?”

Patty pulled a notebook off the counter and moved her seat closer to Emma. Regina chuckled and got up to refill their mugs. 

She had a feeling this was going to be a two-cup afternoon.

 

While Regina was pouring, she heard a suspicious sound. The hairs on her arms stood up and after refilling Patty and Emma’s mugs, Regina silently eased down the hall and was not surprised to see a sneaker-clad foot half way up the stairs. Regina eased a hand through the balusters and grasped the ankle gently.

“You aren’t eavesdropping, are you, Callie?”

“How did you know?”

Regina let go and stepped to where she could see the girl. “Let’s say it’s a skill of mine. You don’t seem the type to eavesdrop.”

Callie looked at her shoes, embarrassed she’d been caught. “I heard my dad’s name. I was hoping Mom would talk about him a little.”

Regina came to stand fully at the bottom of the stairs and put her hand on the newel cap. “You miss him.”

Callie nodded sadly. “Yeah.” she whispered.

Regina watched the teen study her shoes for a few heartbeats more. “I was going to do some work out in the backyard, but I’ll need some help. Do you think you could give me a hand for a little while?”

“Sure”

 

Regina and Callie stepped out in the backyard and closed the door behind them. Callie studied the yard and then looked to Regina. “What did you and my mom decide to do?”

“Your mom wants to grow vegetables and herbs. We decided on a few garden beds. So first off you and I will need to mark off a few beds. We’ll need a measuring tape, twine, a shovel and something we can use for corner posts.”

“All of that’s in the shed.”

Regina gestured. “Lead on.”

When they had what they needed, Callie closed the shed door carefully and took the shovel and corner posts from Regina. “I’m sorry I was eavesdropping.”

As they walked Regina gave the girl a small smile. “I can understand why you did it.”

She stopped walking near the middle of the yard. “We’ll start here I think. We’ll measure off a four by eight feet bed, place the corner posts and start digging.”

Callie nodded. “I can do the digging if you’d like.”

Regina smiled again. “I’d appreciate that, thank you. I’m not as strong as I used to be. Emma, she’s the strong one between us.”

 

Once they had three beds laid out with posts and twine, Callie took the shovel and asked Regina where she should start digging. Regina indicated where she thought it best to start and the teen began to break ground. After a few minutes, Callie grunted, “Can I ask you a question? You can tell me if it’s too personal.”

“Of course.”

“What’s it like? Loving someone, I mean?”

Regina angled her head as she watched Callie dig. “Are you asking because I mentioned Emma, or because your mother was talking about your father?”

Callie shrugged. “Both I guess.”

Regina glanced at the house while she pondered if she was really the one that should be answering the teenager’s question. She thought back to the questions she wished she could have asked her own mother and sighed. The girl was lonely, and if she wanted to know her mother’s feelings on the matter, she would ask her, if she hadn’t already. “Well, I’m not sure if it was different for your parents, you’d have to ask ...”

“I’ve tried asking Mom. She still doesn’t want to talk about my Dad.”

Regina nodded in understanding. “I see. Well, you already know Emma and I didn’t like each other very much at first.”

Callie nodded as she leaned on the shovel and watched Regina. 

“She showed up out of the blue, and at first, she infuriated me. I was convinced she had ulterior motives and I did everything I could to make her life a living hell. I wanted to drive her away. I told her to leave town so many times I lost count. She never did though. She stayed just to irritate me further. Eventually we stopped hating each other. We found we had quite a bit in common and over time we stopped bickering and started spending time together. We’re still finding our way through our relationship, but I’d have to say it’s a wonderful journey.”

 

“Is it as good as the movies show?”

“Well, it can be. Sometimes though, they simplify things too much. I can only speak for myself, mind you.”

Callie nodded and resumed shovelling as Regina continued.

“What I have with Emma is complicated. We’re still uncovering layers of each other that no one else sees. Because of that, we’re hesitant to hurt the other, but sometimes, we need to hurt in order to heal. Movies don’t show that. Sometimes people can hurt each other in ways there is no recovery from. Betrayal, guilt, manipulation can all be inflicted in the name of love when all it does is scar a person’s soul. But it’s not love.”

“Sounds as if someone hurt you.” Callie grunted from a deepening hole.

“My mother.” Regina relied.

Callie looked at Regina quickly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ...”

Regina held up a hand. “It’s all right. My motherwas manipulative because she valued power and control above all else. She had a plan for me and never once thought my dreams were important. She did whatever she wanted. This scar on my lip is the only one people see, but I learned from my mother what love is not. Emma shows me all the good that love can and should be.”

Callie stepped out of the hole and stood facing Regina. “Your mother beat you?”

“Beat me, bound me, hurt me in ways I can’t get into, but believe me when I tell you that your mother loves you. From what I’ve seen so far, your mother wants you to be happy, safe and responsible.” Regina rarely touched people, but she reached out and took Callie’s upper arm. “You are a fine young lady, Callie. You have a lot of potential. Dream big, respect your mother and work hard. You’ll go a long way in life with that. A lot farther than I did.”

 

A soft voice spoke up. “Callie, thank you for helping Regina, but you need to get to your homework now.” Patty stood on the small deck with Emma beside her.

Regina let go of Callie’s arm and blushed. “Patty, I’m sorry...”

But Patty smiled and waved the apology away. “Nothing to apologize for Regina.”

Callie shot a small, tight smile to Regina, handed her the shovel and stepped toward her mother. She hugged her mother briefly, then went inside the house. Patty smiled and followed her daughter.

 

Regina jammed the shovel into the dirt so it stood tall in the hole and went to sit in one of the chairs. Emma sat in the other one and took her hand.

“Did I overstep, Emma?” 

Emma could hear the worry in Regina’s tone and smiled. “No, I don’t think so. We were there for a good minute and Patty seemed okay with it. I think she’s glad that Callie was listening to you.”

“As if I have any right to be giving a teenaged girl any advice.” Regina looked across the yard and sighed.

Emma stroked Regina’s hand with her thumb, trying to comfort the woman she cared about. “You gave her some good advice. Don’t worry. If Patty had minded, she would have spoken up long before she did.”

Regina said nothing, but pulled her hand from Emma’s and tucked a length of her dark hair behind an ear silently, then crossed her arms.

Emma looked at the hole with the shovel standing sentry, then she looked back at her companion wondering how to keep her from slipping too deep into her tidal pool of guilt.

And an idea struck.

“Regina, you remember we talked about your library once, back home?”

“Yes.”

“Did I ever tell you I never owned a library card?”

Regina turned her head slowly to look at Emma, and when she spoke it was the Mayor of Storybrooke enunciating. “And that has what to do with anything?”

“So, I’m not familiar with how they work. Will you ... show me what I need to know?”

“At some point, I am sure we’ll need to visit Desperation Lake’s library, but I can assure you that now is not that time.” More and more of the old Regina was slipping out. Her words were being spit out, clipped and powerful.

Emma did the only thing she was certain would keep Regina from slipping further into her old ways.

She kissed her.

 

TBC

 


	17. Dark Clouds

**_Dark Clouds_ **

It took some time, but eventually, Emma convinced Regina to walk with her to the library. Regina was quiet, she was too busy berating herself for presumptuousness to carry on any kind of conversation.

“I never really stayed in one place long enough to get a library card, so I never had the chance to really enjoy them, you know?” Emma was prattling on beside Regina as they walked. “I enjoy reading, I do, it’s just that...”

“Emma, what if I’ve upset Patty and she doesn’t want us there any more?” Regina asked quietly.

Emma sighed before answering. “Regina, I didn’t see any sign of her being upset. Actually, she seemed kind of ... interested in what you were saying. I don’t think you have to worry about that. I got the impression that she was kind of grateful someone was trying to help. You know raising a kid alone isn’t easy.”

Regina was silent, but nodded in agreement as she wove her arm through Emma’s. 

They walked in silence the rest of the way to the library. Emma wondering what it might have been like to raise Henry alone and Regina lost in memories of sleepless nights worrying about a fever or walking the floor with a teething toddler.

 

When they got to the library, they stood for a minute on the sidewalk outside and gazed at the building. It was constructed of large brown and grey fieldstone, with a built-in porch, wide doorways and multiple windows. Every doorway and window was topped by a stone arch and the roof was grey slate, set at a pitch that was dizzying, even from the street. In the sun it seemed a warm and welcoming building. With a smile and a tug on Emma’s arm, Regina led the way up to the building and through the door. They made their way into a foyer that took up a quarter of the main floor, and Regina stepped up to a desk set off to the side. On the front of the desk hung a hand carved sign that read ‘librarian’. A young woman with shoulder length red hair looked up and smiled.

 

“Good afternoon.” Regina gave the young woman a small smile. “We’re new in town and we’d like to procure a library card.”

“Of course, names?”

“I am Regina Mills,” Regina had to reach back and tug Emma forward. “And this is Emma Swan.”

“Oh! Charlie’s friends!” The young woman exclaimed. “She called just a little while ago and set it all up. I have both your cards right here!”

Regina glanced to Emma in confusion and then back to the red-head. “You don’t need proof of who we are?”

“No, Ma'am. Charlie said you’re friends of hers, that you were both to be treated as special guests of the library. My name is Julia. If you need anything, I’ll be glad to help you.” Julia smiled as she handed Regina hers, and then passed Emma’s card over.

Emma took her card with a stunned expression. She hadn’t really expected to get one, and not without some sort of wait. Granted, she wasn’t familiar with the procedure this kind of thing accompanied but still...

“Thank you.” Regina turned her attention to the foyer, but still spoke to Julia. “I think we’ll just wander and become acquainted with the building.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Julia then turned a bright smile on Emma. “Welcome to the Desperation Lake library.”

 

Emma followed behind Regina, unsure if all libraries were set up the same. She could see there were a few aisles created by long shelving units arranged throughout the main floor, and on each end of the shelves were numbers.

“Regina!” Emma whispered. 

Regina turned back to face her.

“I’m lost in here,” Emma whispered. “What do these numbers mean?”

“The numbers help organize the library materials so that everyone can find them. It’s a standard system. The numbers on the end of the aisles will help us find where we should be looking for certain subjects.” Regina replied quietly.

“All right, where do we find the information that will help us get back?” Emma asked with her voice barely loud enough to be heard.

“While the organizational system is standard, libraries are all laid out differently. As I said before, we’ll explore a bit and see how things are arranged and get a better idea where different topics will be found. Agreed?” 

Emma had heard that tone before, usually in town council meetings. It was the tone of a leader, and right now it soothed her nerves. She nodded and let Regina precede her.

 

As they wandered through the aisles, Emma saw books on a wider variety of topics than she expected. They passed by biographies, computer manuals, atlases, books on constellations, inventions, quilting, sewing, history books, foreign language dictionaries and plans for farm buildings. She saw books on how to raise livestock,books on music and theater, as well as books on a variety of artistic techniques, and it was here that Regina stopped. She studied the spines of the books, reached and took one down and flipped through it quickly. 

She passed it to Emma with a small smile. “What do you think?”

Emma looked through the book carefully and nodded. “I think it’s perfect.”

Regina nodded and smiled and stepped away again.

 

Emma watched the shelves carefully and saw books on solar power, water systems, infrastructure, and engineering. There was information on geography, the environment and sports. When they had gone down all the aisles on the main floor, Regina led them to a wide staircase and started up the stairs. At the top they found themselves in another hallway.Off the hallway were rooms that housed even more books, a few computers, even a collection of music and magazines. In every room were chairs scattered around so library patrons could sit down and read at their leisure. One of these rooms had a large window that let the sunshine in. Regina had just decided this was her favorite room when she began to see titles that hinted they may have found what they were looking for. She removed a book on spells from the shelf and flipped to the table of contents. She scanned it quickly and concluded it had potential. As Emma stepped up beside her, Regina handed her the book to look at. 

No sooner had Emma taken it than Regina’s gaze fell on a book titled _Obscure Potions._ As she thumbed through it’s pages, Emma was doing the same with the book on spells and nodding.

“I think this one might be useful, Regina.” Emma said in a hushed voice.

Regina nodded in agreement. “This one as well. Shall we take a look at the rest of the library?”

Emma nodded and they continued their exploration.

 

In an unoccupied room, they began to see titles on parenting, special needs issues, discipline and child abuse.

Regina stopped and put a hand on Emma’s arm. “You may not want to see what’s in this section, Dear. If you want to sit down or explore a different part of the library, I understand.”

Emma was confused, the last book she had read the spine of was on nutrition and special needs children. But Regina was trying to block her view of a section just past the dark haired woman’s shoulder. With a furrowed brow, Emma tilted her head. “What are you talking about, Regina? Let’s keep going.”

Regina sighed and said quietly, “Very well, but you always have the option of turning back.”

They had only taken a couple of steps when Emma’s eye fell on a book at the end of a shelf. Because of it’s position, she could see the entire cover. The cover was nearly black, and against the darkness stood a person in a blood red robe. All the little hairs on the back of Emma’s neck stood up and goose-bumps rose quickly on her arms. Without meaning to, she reached out and pulled the book from the shelf. When she read the title, she gasped.

Regina turned back at the sound. “Emma?” Her gaze fell to the title of the book in Emma’s hands and she immediately understood. 

_Survivors of Ritual Abuse and Their Healing_

“Regina...” Emma’s voice fell to a whisper. “This is ... this what they were wearing when...”

“If you want to leave, Emma, we can do that. You don’t need to...”

“No, I ...” She drew in a breath that hitched and opened the book at the table of contents. Her eyes scanned down the page until something made her stop. Regina watched her carefully, unsure if she should insist they leave the book behind them. Instead, she stepped to Emma’s side and put an arm around her waist. Emma had flipped to a page and was reading silently. Her right hand came up to cover her mouth and Regina looked down to see what had so obviously upset Emma. Her heart plummeted as she read,

_Signs You May Have Been A Victim of Ritual Abuse_

  * _disassociation_
  * _eating disorders_
  * _trouble sleeping_
  * _nightmares_



 

Emma snapped the book shut and leaned against Regina. “I can’t read any more. I want to, but...I just can’t.” She whispered.

“I know.” Regina said quietly. “We have enough for now, why don’t we leave the rest of the library for another day, all right?” She rubbed circles on Emma’s back and hoped she could get her to agree to go back to the bed & breakfast. “Nothing says we have to see the whole building today, dear. Let’s go back to our room, maybe just take a small rest.”

Emma put the book back on the shelf, sighed jaggedly and stepped away from the shelves.

Regina missed the closeness instantly.

 

Checking out was blessedly simple and without much conversation. Regina picked up the three books and allowed Emma to hold the door for her. Once they had stepped back outside into the sunshine, Emma turned to Regina with red eyes. “Can you find your way back? I’m really sorry...I need to run...I...”

Regina could see the struggle going on in Emma’s eyes. “Of course, dear.” Regina reached out and rubbed Emma’s arm in reassurance. “I’ll be fine. You go do what you need to.” 

Emma tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She nodded and turned away quickly. She glanced up the street, saw no traffic and sprinted off.

 

Regina sighed. She wanted so badly to take Emma’s pain from her, and if they had been back in Storybrooke, she might have seriously considered it. But they were here, and all the former Queen could do was try to be supportive. As she strolled slowly back to the bed & breakfast, she pondered checking out a book from the library that might help. She shook her head when she realized that a year ago she would have had an entirely different reaction to the blonde woman’s pain. But she and Emma had come a long way, and not just geographically. They had opened up and begun to help each other heal. 

 

Regina was across the road from the Sneezing Moosewhen she became aware of the sound of an axe splitting wood. The loud crack echoed slightly off the building, and she stopped to listen. She tilted her head ever so slightly and began to suspect that a run back from the library had not been enough for Emma. Regina crossed the street as she took note that the chopping had gotten slightly faster, and as she reached out to open the door to the diner, the reflection of dark clouds in the glass made her glance up at the sky. Inside, she sat in the booth they had occupied at lunch, facing the street. Charlie saw her, held up the coffee pot and Regina nodded.

 

Setting the books beside her on the seat, Regina smiled as Charlie came to the table with a steaming mug. “Thank you for calling the library on our behalf. That was very kind of you.”

Charlie gestured. “It was no trouble. Sounds like Emma’s back at it.”

“Yes.” Regina was unsure what to offer as an explanation.

“Looks like she won’t be at it long with those clouds out there.” Charlie jerked a thumb towards the street.

Regina glanced outside and was alarmed to see the wind had picked up and the clouds had taken on a threatening hue. “Charlie, could I get a bottle of water for Emma, please?”

The diner owner smiled, reached into her apron pocket and slid the requested item across the table. “I was going to take one out to her when you came in.”

“Thank you. I’ll be right back, can I leave these things here?”

“Sure thing, your coat and books are safe. I’ll watch them. Just down that hall back there and left.”

As Charlie made her way back behind the counter, Regina made her way out back. As she stepped outside, she glanced at the sky and found the clouds overhead darker than those out front.

 

Emma had her back to the door and had already laid her jacket aside. Her sleeveless  t-shirt allowed Regina to see the play of shoulder muscles as Emma raised the axe and slammed it down into another chunk of wood. 

She bent quickly and brought another piece up to the stump, set it, and raised the axe once more before bringing it down with enough force to send the resulting splits skittering away. 

Regina watched until she felt a chilling wind dance across her skin. Emma hadn’t noticed her there yet. She was focused on the rhythm of her actions. 

Bend, lift a log to the stump, raise the axe, slam it down. 

Bend, raise, slam. 

Regina watched the back of Emma’s shirt darken as she worked herself into a sweat, and when she saw a dark cloud begin to form a small funnel off in the distance, she spoke up.

 

“Emma! You’ve got to stop, do you hear me?”

The blonde showed no sign that she’d heard.

Regina stepped around to the side, but stayed well out of harm’s way. She called out again once she was sure she could be seen. “Emma?”

The wood chopping did not slow and the clouddarkened.

Regina took a few brave steps forward and tried to lower her voice, not wanting anyone else to hear. “Emma, listen to me, you have to stop this now. Look at me, look up, Emma.”

The blonde’s swing begin to slow, and finally, when she had buried the axe-head in the stump, Regina rushed forward.

“Emma, listen to me. You have to stop now.” 

The sheriff of Storybrooke was drenched and exhausted and staring at the stump.

Regina reached out and laid her hand gently on the side of Emma’s face. “It’s all right now, dear, you’re all right. But you have to stop, do you hear me? Look up.”

As Emma stood there, panting, her eyes slid to Regina’s face. Regina pointed up with one finger, and watched the expression on her girlfriend’s face change to alarm. “Do you understand now, Emma?” Regina’s voice was quiet and gentle. “You need to breathe slower and calm down before that little funnel blossoms into a tornado.” Regina stepped back and handed her the bottle of water.

Emma accepted the bottle, and let out a long sigh as she twisted the cap off. By the time she lifted the bottle to her lips, the funnel cloud had dissipated.

 

“Come inside with me now. We’ll have a slice of pie and pretend you didn’t change the weather, okay?”

Emma swallowed a mouthful of water, nodded and returned the axe to the steps. By the time she returned to the stump, Regina had picked up her leather jacket. Together they went back into the diner. Emma let Regina slide into the booth and then settled beside her. When Charlie came back, Regina ordered two slices of pie and coffee and took Emma’s still-shaking hand under the table.

 

TBC

 


	18. Ocean of Emptiness

**_Ocean of Emptiness_ **

 

 

Once they had their pie and coffee in front them, Emma wet her lips and spoke so quietly that Regina had to focus to hear her.

“I’ve survived all that I have by learning to compartmentalize. Put aside the tough stuff for later. But this time, with these memories, I can’t seem to do that. We have to focus on getting home, I don’t have time for this.”

“I suspect that these memories may have affected you more than you want to admit to.” Regina replied quietly. “It has been my experience that if an event is traumatic enough to change how we respond to the world around us, the event will also change _us_ , for better or worse. You cannot deny that your time in that household affected you, and yet, that’s exactly what you’ve been doing. One of the things we have in common is that we have both been shaped by our experiences. We are the sum of our pasts. The things we are hiding from are the things which bother us the most. You need to come to terms with what you experienced in that home, but I can’t tell you how to do that. I can only be here for you. You need to let yourself feel, and stop denying the pain. Stop telling yourself it will be fine if you ignore it, because as long as you do, you will never heal.” Regina squeezed Emma’s hand as she continued in a low voice. “I know this isn’t easy, and I know you feel very alone. But remember, I’m here for you. I know _why_ you run. I will hold you after every nightmare, I’ll listen when you need to talk about it and I’ll hold you when you need to cry about it. But you need to stop denying the pain.”

 

As Regina spoke she had turned so that she faced Emma, and from where Charlie stood at the counter, she could see the conversation was an intense one. She didn’t know either of them well, but Emma looked like someone who was in pain and turmoil. From Regina’s body language, it was plain she was trying to comfort the blonde. Charlie looked down at her counter and felt a pang of yearning for a relationship like that. She watched Emma and Regina slide out of the booth they had been sitting at and Emma hold Regina’s coat open for her. As Regina bent to pick up the books, Emma and Charlie made eye contact. Charlie held Emma’s gaze steadily, and nodded only once, hoping she would understand that Charlie would respect her space. Emma tried to smile, but all Charlie saw was her heartache. As they passed her, Regina thanked her and Charlie shook her head. “No worries.”

 

****

 

When she had shut the door to their room behind her, Regina took off her boots and draped her coat over the back of the chair. Emma had sat on the bed with a sigh. Regina went to her and bent to unlace her boots.

“Regina, you don’t have to do that...”

As she pulled one boot off, Regina looked up. “I’m aware of that.”

Her fingers moved to untie the laces of the other boot and Emma spoke again.

“You were royalty...you...”

“And now I’m someone who cares about you, who is trying to do something nice for you. Let me do this, please.”

Emma nodded and Regina returned her attention to the laces as she spoke. “When I ruled, I would never have done this, but I was a different person then. I like to think I’m changing for the better, and I know you are a very large part of that.” She straightened up and sat beside Emma. “I care for you very deeply, my dear. I want to take your pain away, and I would in less than a heartbeat if I could.”

Emma sighed again and rested her head against Regina’s shoulder.

“Are you tired?” Regina asked. “Would you like to take a nap?”

Emma nodded. “This emotional crap is exhausting.”

Regina tensed to stand. “I’ll let you...”

“Stay with me?” Emma asked in a small voice. “Please?”

 

 

Once Regina had settled on the mattress beside Emma, the blonde had turned so that she was on her right side and took the brunette’s hand in her own.Their clasped hands rested on Regina’s stomach and she focused on them, trying to project healing and love into their entwined fingers. In time, she felt Emma’s breathing even out and she knew that sleep had come.

Regina closed her eyes and tried to remember any spells that could be used to heal heartbreak. 

After coming up with nothing, she was forced to admit that she knew very little helpful magic. She had not been taught to care, or heal or help. She had learned only how to hurt, how to get what she wanted, how to gain control over another and how to kill.

She let out a deep breath and wondered how she could possibly be of any help to Emma when her own heart was blackened by her own actions.

She slipped into sleep full of doubts and disturbing memories.

 

****

 

When Regina opened her eyes, the room was dark. She turned her head and saw that Emma was still asleep and in the same position. She eased her fingers from Emma’s and slid carefully off the bed. Regina pulled a blanket over the blonde, picked out a heavy pair of Emma’s socks and slipped silently out of the room. The door closed without a sound and Regina paused at the top of the stairs. The old house was silent as she put the socks on, then padded downstairs and into the kitchen. Patty had urged them to make themselves at home, so Regina retrieved a glass of milk and went quietly out to the backyard.

She set the glass on the small table and settled into a chair, then brought her knees up to rest her chin on.

As her gaze flitted about the yard, she thought back to her training under Rumplestiltskin.

 

 She had been so hungry for some form of power and control she had learned to ignore her conscience. Back then, it never occurred to her that she was becoming exactly the sort of person her mother was. She never stopped to reflect that all she felt was greed, pain and anger. Once she had wrestled control of the kingdom into her grasp, she never thought back to the times she had been happy. She dreamed only of revenge. Getting revenge on her mother was not an option, so she took out her pain on Snow White. Manipulation and meddling in her subjects lives had ceased to bring her any joy. In fact, there was no joy in Regina’s life. Once her subjects began to whisper of her as the “Evil Queen”, she embraced the persona, believing that the power would eventually bring her what she yearned for most. Never once did she stop to think how she was hurting herself as much as the people she ruled over. The darkness in her heart had never bothered her until now.

She had only ever removed her own heart twice. Once under Rumple’s insistence, so that she would know the power she held, and once to prove to someone that murder changed one’s heart. Then, she had talked only about the darkness in it and not the parts that were still bright. This night, she sat in a moon-lit yard far from home and wondered if her redemption could be found in the arms of a fractured, tortured blonde.

 

“Is this a private party?”

Regina looked up to see Patty standing beside her. “Have a seat.” Regina gestured to the other chair. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” Patty sat and put a mug of tea beside the glass of milk.

“Emma and I laid down to rest earlier and fell asleep. I just woke up.” Regina studied the end of her socked feet.

Patty watched her silently, then picked up her mug. She took a mouthful before observing, “You seem a little sad tonight.”

Regina’s first impulse was to tell Patty to mind her own business, but with a heavy sigh, she decided to not give into the easy answer. Patty waited patiently.

 

“My past, and Emma’s, is riddled with impulsive decisions that have led to pain. I am responsible for a good deal of her pain, but life has cut her in ways I shudder to imagine. She is the strongest person I know, but some of that strength comes from surviving her past. A past I helped create. So did I create the pain, or the strength?Although she doesn’t hold me responsible, I do. I have fallen for a person I once claimed to hate, and...”

Regina stood and started to pace the small deck, speaking more to herself now than to Patty.

“I can’t ignore the fact that I want to keep her safe, I want to keep her from hurting any more than she already does, I want to slap those that hurt her, until I realize that I am among those that hurt her in the first place! How do I rectify that? How do I make amends to the woman that _should_ hate me, but loves me instead?” 

 

As she paced, Patty held the mug out. Regina took it and drank deeply before realizing that she was not drinking the milk she had poured. “Oh! I’m...”

“Don’t apologize. I offered it to you. From everything I’ve heard, it sounds as if you and Emma have a complicated past. I hear your guilt, but from what I heard out here this afternoon, you had a horrible upbringing. You think Emma should hate you for whatever you’ve done to her, but I see no evidence of that. When she looks at you, I see her love for you as plain as day. She shows it every time the two of you are together. Do you love her?”

“More every day.” Regina whispered as she sank into her chair once again.

“Then maybe the way you make amends for whatever you did to hurt Emma is to love her as best you can now.” Patty stood and stretched. “Whatever you think of yourself, Regina, I see a woman sitting in front of me who cares about others. She cares enough to stand up for a teenager she doesn’t know. She cares enough to take on a man that scares the daylights out of everyone else, she cares enough to love a woman she claims should hate her. She cares enough that guilt keeps her from sleeping.” Patty walked toward the door and stopped with her hand on the knob. “I didn’t really want the tea, I brought it out here for you. Feel free to finish it.” Patty gave the brunette a smile. “See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight.” Regina said quietly.

 

Regina sat mulling over Patty’s words as she sipped at the tea. In Storybrooke, she had tried to turn away from magic to prove to Henry that she had been worthy of his love. Occasionally, magic had been required to save someone, most notably Emma, Snow and then the town, and then Henry himself when he had been in Pan’s clutches. Now that she needed it more than anything, she had to live without it. And yet, Emma had enough of it that she had been able to produce a small fireball and change the weather when she got upset. On one hand, Regina could almost believe that this was all a very bad joke. And yet...

Regina looked up at the stars twinkling in the dark sky, wondering if perhaps she had her destiny all wrong. The vast ocean of emptiness in her heart had slowly come to be replaced by caring and love. As Regina drank the last of the milk in her glass, she wondered how her heart looked now.

 

When the former Evil Queen rose from the chair, she was starting to the feel the chill of the early morning hours just before dawn. She had sat outside for some time weighing words and feelings against the sum of her life thus far. She had considered a life without Emma Swan now thattheir dynamic had changed. Now they had finally admitted their feelings for one another. No, there was no way she wanted to live without Emma now. She stepped quietly back through the house and into their room. She changed into her pyjamas and managed to get the covers out from Emma without waking her. Until Regina crawled in beside her, Emma hadn’t stirred. Then she snuggled in close to the brunette and threw an arm across her.

“ ‘Gina?” Emma mumbled.

“I’m right here. Go back to sleep, it’s all right.” Regina stroked Emma’s arm and let out a breath she hadn’t intended to hold. She closed her eyes and prayed her own demons would stay away.

 

****

 

When Emma opened her eyes, the room was awash with sunlight. Regina laid on her back, one hand atop Emma’s on her stomach, and the other thrown back above her head. She was beautiful as always, but in sleep, she was less tense. There was no furrow between her brows, no frown, no suspicion. Emma had a vague memory of Regina crawling into bed and being cold, but no matter how she studied the woman sleeping beside her, she couldn’t remember any more than that. She briefly debated getting up and going for her run, but in the end, she was just too comfortable right where she was. So she stayed still, closed her eyes again and slept for another hour.

 

The next time she woke up, she heard the distinctive sound of water hitting tile. She stretched and found herself alone in the big bed. She had slept soundly, her nightmares seemed to have called a cease fire for which she was grateful. It didn’t take long to realize she was still in her clothes from the day before. She swung the covers off and sat up, a little too quickly. Her temples throbbed angrily, as if she had a hang-over. She thought back and couldn’t recall any drinking, only painful memories, heartbreak and chopping wood. And Regina there, saying something about a funnel cloud. Emma leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, determined to remember the rest of it.

“Are you all right?” 

Emma glanced in the direction of Regina’s voice.

Regina stood at the side of the bed, drying her hair with a white towel, dressed in blue jeans and a dark red button-down shirt.

“My head is pounding like I had too much to drink yesterday, and I can’t remember everything.”

“Temples?” Regina asked, already knowing the answer.

Emma only nodded slowly.

Regina let the towel drop to the bed and stood in front of Emma. “Here, let me...”

Emma let her hands fall away and felt the brunette’s fingers begin to draw small circles on either side of her head. The slight pressure felt wonderful and Emma moaned a little.

 

“Do you remember the library?” Regina asked quietly.

Emma made an affirmative noise.

“Do you remember running afterward, or stopping at the diner to cut wood?”

“Yeah, but after that it’s all a blur.”

“Do you remember what Rumple always says about magic?”

“That it comes with a price?”

“Indeed. This is your price, dear.” Regina rested her thumbs above Emma’s eyebrows and shifted her fingertips so that she could gain a better angle. “All magic comes with a price. Elemental magic is primarily good, but it still takes something from you. Yesterday, you nearly created a tornado. Your heightened emotions created some very erratic weather. Do you remember seeing the small funnel cloud?”

“No.”

“As I was walking by the diner, I heard the sound of wood chopping. When I saw the sky, I knew what was happening. I took you out a bottle of water and talked you down.”

Emma snorted. “You make it sound like I was a crazy person out on a ledge.”

Regina smiled. “Magic can sometimes make things seem that way. Think back to sitting in the diner. We had...”

Emma cast back in her memory, watching the mini-film in her head, lifting the axe, lifting another log, and the axe again. And then Regina’s face, understanding and kind. She remembered Regina’s hand resting on her cheek and pointing up. And just like that the rest of it came flooding back as Regina kneaded her temples.

“Pie.” Emma said simply. “We had coffee and pie, and Charlie looked at me as if...”

“As if she understood that you were going through something tough. That’s all.” Regina stopped massaging Emma’s temples but didn’t step away. Instead, she put one finger under Emma’s chin and gently tilted her face upward so she could see her eyes. She peered into Emma’s eyes for a time, then bent down and gently kissed her lips. “Do you remember our conversation as well?”

“I do.” Emma whispered.

“I meant every word of it.” Regina kissed her again and then stepped back. “Why don’t you grab a shower and I’ll meet you downstairs in the kitchen?”

Emma nodded and Regina left the room.

 

****

 

Regina was a little surprised to find the kitchen empty, but found a note on the table instead.

_Regina,_

_I’ve gone shopping, help yourself to whatever food the two of you would like. Callie is in her room if you need her._

_Patty_

 

So Regina got busy making coffee and french toast, and by the time Emma came downstairs with damp hair, Regina was just plating their breakfast.

“Hungry?”

“Ravenous. Where is everyone else?”

“It is almost ten am, dear. Patty has gone shopping and Callie is upstairs.” Regina commented as she set a full cup of coffee down in front of Emma. “How’s your headache?”

“Better, thanks. Do you get those too?”

Regina sat down to her own plate as she answered. “I do. Terrible migraines that upset my stomach.”

Emma shook her head as she cut into her breakfast. “I don’t know how you handle those, Regina.”

“I always seem to muddle through as best I can on my own.”

“No more.”

Regina looked at Emma and gave her a small smile.

Emma shook her head again and reached out to lay her hand over the brunette’s. “I mean it. You will never have to suffer through another migraine alone.”

“Thank you, dear. I’m glad to hear it because they’re quite horrible.”

 

They could hear footsteps on the stairs and soon Callie came into the kitchen.

“Good morning.” Regina spoke first.

“Morning!” Callie retrieved a glass from the cupboard and poured the orange juice from the fridge. “Anyone else want some of this?”

Regina and Emma both nodded, so the teenager poured two more glasses. As she put Regina’s glass in front of her, Callie looked up. “Mom said the two of you might sleep late. Said something about you having a rough night, Regina?”

“I did.” Regina nodded and turned to meet Emma’s questioning gaze. “I was having a difficult time sleeping in the wake of everything we went through yesterday.”

“Ah.” Emma nodded and gave Regina’s hand a little squeeze before picking up her own orange juice. She spotted Callie’s sketchbook under the teenager’s arm and spoke up. 

“Any new drawings you’d like to show off, Callie?”

“Sure!” Callie stood beside Emma and flipped through pages until she found the page she was looking for. “I had a dream about my best friend last night, not sure why.”

 

She had sketched a girl about her own age, with dark hair and dark eyes and a frightened look on her face. In the drawing she was glancing over her shoulder. “That’s Genesis. We’ve practically grown up together. First time I’ve ever drawn her though.”

Callie pulled out a chair and sat down. “Could I maybe draw you one day, Emma? You’ve got great lines.”

Regina chuckled. “I’ve been thinking the same thing for some time now.”

Emma blushed but nodded.

 

****

 

After the breakfast dishes had been cleaned up, Regina and Emma sat in the common living room reading.In actuality, Emma had drifted off again, head nodding over the library book on spells. Regina glanced up when she heard Callie coming in to the room and raised one finger to her lips. Callie nodded silently.

Regina motioned the girl over and patted the seat beside her on the sofa. When Callie had gotten settled, Regina pointed to the sketchbook Callie carried, smiled and then pointed across the room to where Emma rested.

Callie understood right away, found a clean sheet of paper and began to draw the Savior.

Regina continued to read while Callie sketched beside her.

 

They sat this way for almost an hour of peaceful silence until they heard Patty’s truck pull into the yard followed by another vehicle. Callie got up and looked through the window.

“Mom’s home.” she said quietly. “And she’s got the Sheriff with her.”

 

 

To be continued


	19. Pools of Fear

**_Pools of Fear_ **

 

**_**Author’s Notes: I’d like to thank both Paradoxalpoised and LZClotho for their proof-reading, their guidance and encouragement. Both are talented and wonderful authors. If you aren’t reading their fiction yet, you should! Thus far, poor Callie has been a little ‘underdeveloped’. That’s about to change. We stand now on the cusp of some serious action, character development and secrets. SwanQueen fans, don’t despair, Paradoxalpoised didn’t let me forget the romance! *grin*_ **

**_I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you do, please spread the word about our not-so-little tale and be so kind as to leave a review. Thanks!**_ **

 

Emma’s eyes fluttered open and she straightened up just as Patty came through the front door.

Patty saw the movement and turned as she came into the room. “Oh good, Callie, you’re here. Sheriff Stirling needs to speak with you.”

“Umm, what? Why? I didn’t do anything...” The teenager stammered as she looked between the sheriff and her mother.

“Let’s go into the dining room and talk,” Patty suggested. “We’ll just be a few minutes, ladies.”

Regina and Emma nodded and remained seated.

“Wonder what that’s all about?” Emma mused as she ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to look less like she’d been sleeping.

“Clearly, it came out of the blue for Callie, whatever it is.” Regina picked up her book again and tried hard not to eavesdrop.

Emma followed suit.

 

After a few minutes of soothing murmurs from the sheriff’s deep voice, Callie came back into the living room, followed by her mother and the sheriff.

Both Regina and Emma looked up as Callie resumed the seat she had been in. 

“Emma, didn’t Regina tell us you were the sheriff in your hometown?”

“ _Is_ , dear. Emma still _is_ our sheriff.” Regina interjected gently.

Emma nodded as Callie ploughed on.

“Did you ever have to go looking for someone who had gone missing?”

Thoughts of David crossed Emma’s mind, as well as Kathryn, and Snow, when she had been accused of murdering Kathryn in a fit of jealousy over David before the curse had been broken. She decided it was best not to go into detail. “Yeah, why?”

“The drawing I showed you of my friend Genesis?  Apparently she’s missing, and there’s people looking for her but...”

Emma waited, sure she knew what was coming.

“Regina told me once that finding people was your thing...”

“That and her lie detecting skills.” Regina added.

“Would you help find Genesis...please?” Callie’s eyes became pools of bright fear but she held her emotions in check, not wanting to seem weak.

Emma looked from Patty to the sheriff. Neither offered an opinion one way or another. 

The big sheriff opened his mouth, but then gave a small shake of his head and said nothing. He jammed his hands in the pockets of his brown leather bomber jacket and remained silent.

 

Patty looked at her daughter. “Callie, sweetheart...”

“Mom, I wanna go out and help look for her too. Please don’t tell me I can’t.” The teenager implored her mother. “If I were missing, you would want everyone out there looking for me, wouldn’t you?”

Patty nodded, knowing her daughter was right.

“Then let me go. I’ll stay with Emma. She kept she and Regina alive in the bush that whole time, Regina said so! Emma knows how to track and everything. Let me help my best friend, Mom.”

Patty looked to Emma.

Emma nodded. “I’ll do what I can. Let me run upstairs and change. Be right back.” As she took the stairs two at a time, she could feel Regina coming up behind her at a more refined pace.

 

Emma was pulling heavier clothes from her drawers as Regina came into their room and shut the door. 

“There is more going on than what we see here, Emma.”

“Yeah, I know.” Emma nodded as she changed her clothes.

“I get the distinct feeling...wait..you do?” Regina threw on verbal brakes.

“Yeah, there’s something deeper than Callie just wanting to find her friend, but whatever it is, she isn’t going to talk about it in front of her mother or Stirling. So I’ll go out there, see if I can get her to open up and hopefully find her friend in the process.”

Regina nodded as Emma laced her boots back up. When Emma straightened, the brunette wrapped her in a tight hug. 

“You be careful out there.” Regina said quietly. “Don’t lose control of your emotions. Stay focused. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Emma replied as she held Regina tightly. “We’ll be fine.”

 

They descended the wooden stairs and found Patty waiting by the door. “Emma, when Callie and I go pick berries we take an emergency pack, just in case we get stranded. To hear Regina brag about you, you’re a genius out there, but a little preparation can’t hurt, so take my pack.” Patty passed her a black backpack.

“Bragging about me, Regina?” Emma asked as she slipped her arms through the straps and adjusted them.

“Yes...well...” Regina replied. “You did keep us alive out there, dear.”

Patty passed Emma a set of keys next. “Take my truck. Bring my baby back to me safe and sound.” The blonde knew Patty was no longer referring to the truck.

Patty hugged Emma, surprising her, then stepped back.

Regina stepped forward and hugged her once more. “Be careful. I love you.”

“Love you too.” Emma murmured as she buried her face in Regina’s neck. 

When they extricated themselves from each other’s arms, Patty spoke up again. “Callie has a pack full of food and drinks for you both. She’s waiting on the front porch.” She opened the door and let Regina and Emma precede her.

 

Patty looked at Sheriff Stirling, who nodded to some unspoken question.

“My Tommy was a man of many skills. When he was killed by that tree, I inherited his gun collection. A sheriff needs a gun. Keep this.” She handed Emma a sheathed semi-automatic pistol.

Emma pulled the weapon from it’s holster and studied it. “A SIG Sauer 224. Nice. Thanks.” She checked the magazine and found it loaded.

“Tommy’s fur-lined leather jacket is hanging behind the seat.” Patty continued. “No need to be cold if you don’t have to.” 

 

 

Callie waited on the steps with Sheriff Stirling an arm-length away. 

Emma nodded once to the lawman and he spoke directly to her for the first time.

“I assume you have your badge with you?”

“I do.”

“Good. I’m not going to _tell_ you to wear it while we’re searching, but you might find things a little smoother if you do. Especially if you’re going to carry the handgun out in the open, which I would do if I were you. Canada has handgun laws that require the carrier to be law enforcement or a private investigator. Your badge will make things easier all the way ‘round. There are still folks here who respect a stranger wearing a badge easier than one without. Understand?”

Emma blinked in surprise but clipped her badge to her hip. “This is where I wear it in Storybrooke. I don’t do uniforms and I don’t stand much on formality.”

Stirling smiled. “I can see that. Follow me to the command post, and we’ll get you set up with maps, a rifle and such there.”

 

“Emma…” Regina spoke up. 

Emma turned to face Regina.

The brunette stepped close and put a hand on Emma’s hip. “You find this girl and come back to me.” She leaned in and pressed her lips to Emma’s cheek, conscious of the others watching. Then she whispered, “I can feel you, inside me. If you get into trouble, call. I’ll hear you, even without magic.”

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina. “I love you.” She held her tight for a minute, then sighed and stepped away.

 

Emma and Callie made their way to Patty’s truck. Emma slid the pack from her back, and as they grasped their respective door handles, Patty called out from the porch.

“Sheriff Swan...”

Emma turned, a little surprised to hear her title used.

“Be careful out there.” Patty continued. Regina stood beside her trying not to look concerned.

Emma nodded and spoke, more to Regina than to Patty. “We’ll be okay. If we have to spend the night out there, don’t worry.” Emma looked across the truck to Callie. “Let’s go.”

Callie waved to her mother and hopped in.

Once both of them were buckled in, Emma started the engine and pulled out of the yard after the cruiser.

 

To be continued

 


	20. Mossy Ruins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Callie take their leave of the B&B, Sheriff Stirling makes sure they have what they need and they set out to find Genesis.  
> Along the way, they share some things that give them a better insight into each other.

Underneath The Surface, Chapter 20  
Mossy Ruins

The cruiser turned left at a mailbox marked “Taylor” and then aimed for a large white trailer set a respectable distance away from a house. The command trailer had been parked on an empty stretch of grass close enough to be useful, but not close enough to invade the Taylors’ privacy.  
“Your friend’s last name is Taylor?” Emma asked her passenger.  
Callie replied with a simple “Yeah.”  
Emma stopped the truck a short distance from the cruiser and killed the engine. “Wait here, I’ll go talk to Stirling.”  
Callie nodded, released her seat belt and watched Emma walk toward Sheriff Stirling.

 

“Sheriff Stirling...”  
The tall man turned at the sound of Emma’s voice. He nodded to her and then turned back to address the crowd of volunteers and deputies gathered around him. “I need everyone’s attention...”  
He waited for silence before continuing. “This is Sheriff Swan, she is to be given the same respect you would show me. If she needs anything, you help her out. Any questions?”  
No one seemed to have any as they all looked at her. Emma smiled tightly and shoved her hands in her back pockets.  
Stirling turned back to Emma and lowered his voice. “Go through the packs that Ms. Bailey gave you. If you want anything that isn’t in there, come find me.” 

As he turned to walk away, Emma reached out and put a hand on his arm. “I meant what I said back at the house, if we have to be out overnight, I don’t want anyone to worry.”  
“Your reputation in the woods precedes you, Sheriff Swan, just don’t make this a search party for three instead of one.”  
“Understood.”

As Emma approached the truck, she spotted Callie sitting on the opened tailgate. When Emma had come close enough to hear, the teenager spoke.  
“So what now?”  
“First, we go through these packs to see what we have. Stirling has offered us the loan of anything they have that we might need. I don’t suppose you have a piece of paper and pen in the cab of the truck?”  
Callie hopped off the tailgate. “Yep. In the glove-box.”  
“Okay, you grab that. I’ll see what we have here.”   
Emma emptied the contents of each pack, keeping them organised and separate. When Callie returned with a small notebook and a pen, Emma looked up. “All right, you take notes, I’ll name off a few things.”   
Callie nodded.  
“We’ll need headlamps if they have some but, at the very least, flashlights. Topographic maps, a compass, and whistles. Sleeping bags too, in case we get stuck out here overnight.”  
Emma glanced up to gauge the teenager’s reaction to that possibility. She seemed calm as she wrote up the list. Emma returned her attention to the packs in front of her. There seemed to be plenty of water and food. She repacked the bags carefully and as she zipped up the zipper on the last one, she glanced up to locate Stirling. He was leaning against his car facing the Taylor house, looking haggard and worried.  
Emma turned to face Callie. “I’ll go ask him for those things. You make sure you’re ready to go, okay?”  
Callie nodded and handed Emma the list.

 

Stirling rubbed a hand over his face and watched Emma walk toward him. “Got a list for me?”  
“Just a few things.” Emma passed the paper to him and watched his eyes flick over it.  
“You’ll need a radio, too. Come with me.” Stirling pushed off the car and moved toward the command trailer. He held the door open and let Emma precede him. Once he had followed her inside, he shut the door behind him. “It’s quiet in here right now, but once the groups move out into the bush, it’ll get crazy. Let’s get you these things. Follow me back here.” Stirling went to the back of the trailer and slid a pocket door back to reveal steel shelving, piled high with all kinds of equipment. He pulled a pack off the top shelf and proceeded to fill it with everything Emma had asked for. Then he bent and pulled two rolled up sleeping bags from a bottom shelf and passed them to her. She set them on end on the floor beside her feet.  
From a charging dock, he pulled a radio. “It’s fully charged.” He handed it to Emma, who clipped it to her jeans.  
“I’ll need a roll of police tape, too.”  
“Can I ask why?”  
“I can navigate through woods, but I’ll make better time following my trail back if I’m not following someone else’s fluorescent trail markers. I don’t imagine I’ll find much police tape out there.”  
“Pretty smart, Swan.” He almost sounded impressed.

Emma watched a tic under Stirling’s jaw. She’d seen that before, in others, when something played on their mind. “There’s something more going on here. What aren’t you telling the others?”  
She watched Stirling lower his chin to his chest and heard him sigh before answering her in a subdued voice. “I don’t expect the others to find her.”  
“Pardon?” Emma didn’t bother to hide the surprise in her voice.  
“They won’t find her.”  
“Why not?”  
“I have more faith in you and Callie than the rest of them out there.” Stirling jerked his thumb toward the door before continuing. “None of them have the reputation in the woods that you do. Hell, none of them have done what you did. Not even the hunters. None of them see the way you obviously do. The girls have been friends ever since Genesis moved here. She and Callie used to play in these woods. I have a feeling that Genesis took off to prove a point. Callie will be able to help you find her.”

Emma watched Stirling’s back, saw the set of his shoulders, watched him breathe. An idea dawned slowly in Emma’s mind. “This is personal for you ... Why?”  
Stirling sighed again. “Just find her, Sheriff Swan.” Abruptly, he straightened, turned and handed her the pack. “There are two florescent orange vests in there, as well as the other things you asked for. It’s bear season, you’ll need a rifle and ammo.” Stirling stepped to the side and unlocked a gun cabinet.   
He pulled a rifle from the cabinet and handed it to Emma. “Browning BLR .308. If you do happen across a bear, this will stop it.”  
Emma could see the gun had been well cared for. The wood was a warm honey color and the dark metal gleamed. She took it with a quiet, “Thanks.”  
He turned slightly and asked if she had the gun that Patty had given her.   
Emma leaned the rifle against the wall, pulled the handgun from its holster, and held it out, grip first.  
He pulled the magazine out to find it fully loaded. “She give you any other ammo than this?” He looked at Emma as he passed the gun back.  
Emma shook her head as she holstered the gun.  
Stirling faced the gun cabinet again, muttering to himself. He pulled two boxes from a shelf and faced her again. “Here’s a box of Winchester .357. The magazine holds...”  
“Ten rounds.” Emma said briskly. “I have some experience with it. Before I was sheriff, I was a bail bondsperson in Boston. It’s a good gun.”  
Stirling smiled slightly and handed her another box. “Those are a gift from me. Winchester makes reliable .358 shells for the rifle. There’s 50 in there. Whatever you don’t use, bring back to us. The paperwork on department purchased ammunition can be a bitch, as I’m sure you’re aware, even in Maine.”  
Emma nodded once, much more composed than Stirling had expected her to be.   
“Here,” he held his hands out, palms up. “Let me put those in the pack for you.  I’ll grab you a tent and we’ll get you going.”  
Emma handed him back the two boxes of ammunition, which he put into the pack and zipped up.   
He re-locked the gun cabinet, pulled a rucksack from one of the steel shelves and plucked both sleeping bags from the floor. “Let’s go.”  
Emma retrieved the rifle from where she had leaned it against the wall and followed Stirling out of the trailer.

As they approached the truck, Callie hopped off the tailgate. She eyed the rifle in Emma’s hand with curiosity, but said nothing about it. “Three packs?”  
The blonde laid the rifle down on the tailgate and slid the extra pack off her shoulders. She emptied its contents beside the rifle and handed the extra pack to Stirling. “That was easier than carrying all that over here loose, thanks.”  
The sheriff nodded and turned toward Callie.  
“Young lady, you know Genesis better than I do, but I suspect she’s taken off somewhere familiar. Either she’s proving a point or she’s angry.”  
“What would she be angry about, Sheriff?” Callie tilted her head a little as she spoke.  
Stirling wouldn’t meet her eyes, but he answered her with a practised tone. “It’s not for me to say exactly, but I have a feeling her curiosity got the better of her. Just bring her back safe and sound, okay?”  
“Yes sir.” Callie’s upbringing overrode her inquisitiveness.  
“Channel 3, Swan. Good luck.” Stirling clapped a hand on Emma’s shoulder and left.

“That was weird,” Callie muttered.   
“Yeah.” Emma shook her head a little and studied the things she had dumped onto the tailgate. “So we’ll be carrying the map and compass. We’ll put the safety vests on over our jackets. Oh, you better take a whistle.” Emma looped the whistle’s lanyard over Callie’s head. “Put one of these head lamps in an outside pocket of the food pack, too.” She used hook and eye tape to attach one sleeping bag to each of their packs, put the SIG-Sauer on her belt and loaded the rifle. “I’m going to set your dad’s jacket just inside my pack, just on top of the tent bag. It’s already afternoon and I suspect we’ll be out overnight. That okay with you?”  
Callie nodded and set her jacket over the food, then did the pack up.  
Emma retrieved Tommy’s leather jacket from the front of the truck, locked it up and pocketed the keys. She slipped her pack over her shoulders and turned to Callie. “Which way should we go?”  
“To the ruins first.”

Emma followed the teenager silently. She really wanted to ask her what ruins they were going to, and why Callie thought Genesis might be there. But Emma was smart enough to know that Callie didn’t want to talk much with the others milling around. Many of whom turned to watch them walk away. But Emma neither waved to them nor made any acknowledgement of them at all. They were not here to socialize. They had a job to do, and people were expecting results. Emma trailed Callie towards the back of the Taylors’ property, and through a hole in the screen of trees. Once they stepped through the trees, Callie led them through the brush without hesitation. Emma realized they were on an overgrown trail the girls must have used when they were younger. The sounds of the other searchers faded away, and Emma was relieved to find that Callie didn’t crash through the bush. Likely from living out here her whole life. They walked for a little while longer, Emma keeping a watchful eye for broken branches or some other sign Genesis had been this way. Finally, Callie stopped and pulled the pack from her shoulders.

“Do you want some water?” she asked.  
Emma nodded and smiled when she was handed a water bottle. She unscrewed the cap and took a drink before asking, “So...what are these ruins?”  
“Gen and I used to hang out there once our mothers let us out of their sight. Just an old stone building out in the bush that’s halfway crumbled. We’d go out there to get away from adults, hang out and talk. I haven’t been out there in a couple of years. Not since...” Callie sat down on a fallen tree.  
“Since your dad died?” Emma guessed.  
Callie nodded. “I didn’t want to be out in the bush for a long time after he died out here, and then I gave my mom all kinds of grief.” She shrugged. “Now it’s been a couple of years.”  
Emma spotted their tracks in a bit of dirt they had walked through and studied their treads so she would know their own tracks from anyone else’s they might see. “Any idea what Stirling might have been going on about?”  
“Yes.”  
“So you played dumb to get information out of him.”  
“I’m a teenager, Emma, I’m not dumb.”  
Emma straightened and faced Callie. “Never said you were.”  
“Sorry.” Callie slouched a little.  
“Don’t be. I remember what it’s like. Hell, people see my blonde hair and figure I have the I.Q of a box of hammers. So I get it.” Emma took another drink. “So?”  
Callie stood and put the pack on again. “I’ll tell you if you swear on your badge that you won’t repeat this to anyone.”  
Emma nodded and put one hand on her badge. “I swear.”

“Okay, let’s go. I’ll tell you while we walk.”  
Emma let Callie lead the way again.  
“Genesis wasn’t born here like me. Her mom had grown up here, but moved away, and then came back with Genesis when she was ten. Apparently her mom and mine were friends in high school or something, so when Ms. Taylor came back, they picked up their friendship again. I liked Gen right away. We’ve been friends ever since. A couple of years ago, around the time my dad died, she started asking questions about her father. Her mom didn’t want to talk about him. She would put her off with all kinds of excuses. They fought about it every now and then, and Gen would take off to my house. My mom called hers and after a few days, everything would go back to normal. But the last little while, Gen has been noticing the sheriff at her house for no good reason. She called me the third time he came over. We tossed around ideas on why he could be showing up with no reason. Nothing sounded reasonable though, and I think she finally asked her mom about it.”  
Emma ducked to avoid a low, heavy branch. “You think they argued?”  
“More than likely. I know Gen is getting pretty fed up with being kept in the dark.  I think they argued and she took off for the ruins.”  
“Makes sense to me.”  
Callie stopped suddenly and spun on her heel. “It does?”  
“Yeah.” Emma was forced to stop. She slung the strap of the rifle as best she could over one shoulder and put her hands in her pockets. “I had a colorful enough childhood to know how to take off myself.”  
Callie narrowed her eyes ever so slightly and cocked her head. She watched her travelling companion for a few seconds and Emma knew that the teenager was trying to figure out if she was lying. So Emma told her about growing up in the foster system in the States. Callie must have decided Emma wasn’t lying and turned around to stride between the trees again.  

 

They walked on for a while before Callie asked, “Can I ask you a question?”  
“Only if I get to ask one of my own,” Emma countered.  
“Fair enough.”  
A few steps later Callie spoke up again. “How did you and Regina find each other? You seem so different.”  
Emma snorted. “You can say that again. In a lot of ways, we are. But she balances me out somehow. I’ve learned a lot from her. She tempers my impulsiveness, but then when I want to move slowly, sometimes she takes the bull by the horns and does what needs doing.” Emma thought about holding Snow in Neverland while Regina ripped out the heart of a Lost Boy. “We were introduced kind of against our wills, and you already know we hated each other. Well, she hated me more than I hated her. I just thought she was a cold, unfeeling shrew.”  
Callie stopped and turned around with a small smile playing on her lips.  
Emma shrugged. “Truth.”  
Callie resumed walking.

 

“Then how did you change your mind?”  
“Regina and I worked together a lot and over time, we both began to trust each other. We travelled. I saved her life once or twice. She’s saved mine once or twice...after that, we just kind of relaxed.” Emma reflected on how much more complicated their lives really were, but mentioned none of that. “My turn?”  
“That was the deal.”

 

Emma chuckled. She was beginning to discover that Callie was not like most teenagers she’d known in her youth.   
“Is your mom really okay with letting us stay there for free?”  
Callie nodded as she stepped over a fallen tree that laid across the path. “Yeah, she is. I think Mom is lonely. I mean, she’s got friends in Desperation Lake and all, but I think she needs something new and interesting and ...” Callie let her thought dangle. “It’s not really about the money for her. It sucks that your car blew up, and my mom likes being able to help. She likes you and Regina.” Callie blew out a long breath and mumbled, “She’s not the only one.”  
Emma grinned when the admission floated back. She scrambled across the same fallen tree, pleased her suspicion had been confirmed.

They walked in silence for a long time. Emma listened for any unusual sounds and watched the surrounding woods carefully. She had faced down a giant, but she knew she did not want to go up against a bear, rifle or no rifle. Off in the distance up ahead, she spotted a dark blob through the trees. “Is that your ruins up there?”  
“Yep. That’s it.”  
As they got closer, Emma could see the remains of two stone walls. They looked like field stone, moss covered and well aged.  
“You want to call out for your friend? She’ll recognize your voice.”  
Callie nodded and called out. “Genesis! It’s Callie! Come on out!”  
No answering call came back to them.  
“Gen?” Callie called out, louder this time.  
Still no reply.  
Emma put a hand on Callie’s shoulder and faced her. “Callie, let me go ahead. I need you to hang back so I can check it out, okay?” She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
The teenager nodded and Emma gave her what she hoped was a reassuring  smile. “Just hang out here until I holler for you. I won’t be long.” Emma patted her shoulder and then turned away.

As she approached the ruins, she strained her ears for any suspicious sound of anyone trying to stay out of sight. She heard only her own breathing and a bird in the trees above. She angled her approach so she had a clear line of sight into the corner where the two walls met. From a distance, she couldn’t see anything suspicious, but as she went closer, she kept an eye on the ground for tracks. There was no evidence of the walls ever resting on anything but dirt. There were shoe prints that looked to be a size a teenager might wear, and the tracks were fresh. Emma wasn’t surprised by this. There was a jacket that laid against the base of one of the walls that looked relatively new. Seeing nothing alarming, Emma began to raise her head to call Callie when something off to the side caught her attention. With the hairs on the back of her neck standing up, she stepped closer for a better look.

Emma knelt and studied it for a full minute, wanting to be sure. When she was certain she knew what she was looking at, she straightened up.  
“Damn it.” She sighed.  
She looked down once more.  
At a clear, very fresh, very large track of a man’s hunting boot.  
“Damn.”

**Author’s Note: Before I get all kinds of messages asking me what kind of a hack I am out in the woods, let me just say that Sheriff Stirling had his reasons for sending Emma and Callie out there the way he did. That being said, I welcome your theories, thoughts and feedback. Rest assured, there’s something big coming Thanks for reading!**


	21. Coffee, Wine and Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina makes herself useful while Emma is away, and gets a hint of a secret.

Underneath The Surface  
Chapter 21  
Coffee, Wine and Secrets

 

Authors Note: I apologize for the long delay in updates. At any rate, I hope those of you still with me are enjoying the story as much as I do. We’re nowhere near finished yet. This chapter is short, but hints at yet another secret. How many secrets can this town hold? Lots.

“Secrets have a way of making themselves felt, even before you know there's a secret.”   
Jean Ferris

Regina stood on the porch for a long time with her arms wrapped around herself. Logically, she knew Emma and Callie would be fine, and she knew that if anyone could find Genesis, they would.  
But this new Regina, the one that loved and ached and wanted to never share Emma with anyone in Storybrooke again, was a little lost without Emma by her side. Something that would have to be dealt with sooner or later.  
She wanted to get back to Henry, but if she was completely honest with herself, he was the only one. If he had come through with them, she might consider never going back to Maine at all.  
But he wasn’t here.  
And no matter how much she knew his other family would keep him safe, warm, fed and loved, she missed her son.  
Regina sighed and turned to go indoors.

She could hear the sound of groceries being put away, so she went back to the kitchen. Patty had her back to the door, so Regina cleared her throat. “Would you like some help with that?”  
Patty turned and attempted a weak smile, but Regina could see she was on the verge of tears. “No, I’ve got this, but thank you. I’m going to go up to my room and read once I get these all tucked away.”  
Regina gave their hostess a small smile. “Callie is completely safe with Emma. There’s nothing to worry about.” Then she was struck by an idea. “Patty, would you like me to make dinner tonight? I’m sure you must be weary of cooking for all of us. Why not let me do it?”  
Patty took in a breath, and for a moment, it seemed she might protest. But a tired look washed over her features and she nodded. “Actually, I’d like that. Emma raves about your lasagne.”  
Regina smiled at that. “It is one of her favorites. That woman can put away almost as much as a teenage boy. Five thirty?”  
Patty nodded and put away the last of the groceries. “That sounds good, thank you. I’m going to go lay down for a little bit I think. Make yourself at home, okay?”  
Regina nodded and watched Patty leave the room.

Regina got an idea then and left the house, closing the front door quietly. She mulled over her plans until she got to The Sneezing Moose. She chose a seat at the counter and Charlie brought a mug and a pot of coffee. As she poured, Regina asked her,  
“Charlie, do you have any plans for dinner?”  
“No, just me and a box of whatever. Why?”  
Regina explained that Callie’s friend had gone missing and that Callie had asked Emma to help find her, and that she had gone along to help search. As a result, Patty was worried and upset, and Regina had offered to make dinner for them. “I think she might enjoy the company of a friend tonight.”  
Charlie got an unreadable look on her face, set the pot down and leaned on the counter, something Regina had seen Ruby do countless times at Granny’s. “That would be nice. Patty and I used to be closer ... but we’ve kind of drifted apart a little. I know it doesn’t really seem like it. We used to talk more, and spend a lot more time together. I spend a lot of time here now though.”  
Regina felt there was more to the story than that, but remained silent.  
“I’ll bring my mother’s notebooks, you can borrow those for a while. What kind of wine should I bring?”  
“I’m making lasagne, garlic bread and apple pie. Red would go nice with the lasagne, I think. I do miss my apple cider though.” Regina sighed and drank her coffee.  
“I should get you to show me how to make it.”  
“I would enjoy that.” Regina smiled. 

Charlie moved off to refill the cups of other customers, but came back to Regina after a while with a piece of pie in her hand. “I’ve heard about your cooking from Emma, and I’d like your honest opinion, if you wouldn’t mind.”  
Regina agreed and took the plate. She cut into the pie, assessing the crust, the look of the fruit and the smell. The first bite was very good but she knew immediately there was something missing. She ate the entire slice, washed it down with a mouthful of coffee and dabbed at her lips. Charlie waited silently.  
“It’s very good. The crust is flaky, and very light. I can tell you’ve used real apples, and not commercially canned, the texture of real apples is distinctive. I can taste a mixture of apples, the hint of wild apples gave it away. It’s quite a pleasant mixture. The only thing I would do differently is add a pinch of nutmeg, just a hint mind you, to accent the wonderful flavors you’ve already got there.”  
Charlie beamed. “Thank you, that’s high praise coming from someone Emma described as the ‘queen of apples’.  
Regina had been taking another mouthful of coffee when she gasped, which of course resulted in an embarrassing coughing fit. When she caught her breath, she smiled and began to pay, but Charlie would have none of it. Regina thanked her and made her way back to the house.

As she gathered ingredients and made the pie crust, Regina reflected on Charlie’s intriguing comments with regards to Patty. She knew the two were long-time friends, but there seemed to be something more complex going on. She wondered if their relationship was as multi-layered as hers and Emma’s was.

At five o’clock, she went and knocked softly on Patty’s door, and let her know dinner would be ready soon. Shortly after, Charlie knocked and came into the house with a bottle of red wine in hand. Regina played hostess until Patty came into the room, looking more rested.  
“I invited Charlie to dinner Patty, I hope you don’t mind.”  
“Not at all, Regina. Charlie, you brought wine?”  
“I did. Seemed appropriate.”  
Regina left them to their conversation as she bustled about setting the lasagne, salad and garlic bread on the table. Charlie poured the wine.  
Dinner was a hit. Patty and Charlie raved about Regina’s culinary skill throughout the meal and as pie was being served, Charlie remembered that she had brought a few of her mother’s notebooks.  
She passed them to Regina and sat down to her slice. After one bite, she and Patty were trying to convince Regina to make pies and sell them to The Sneezing Moose.  
Regina laughed and downplayed her talents in the kitchen, but inside, she glowed with the praise. She knew Henry and Emma enjoyed her cooking, but it was nice to be appreciated by others as well. As she made coffee, Patty loaded the dishwasher then turned slowly to look at Charlie.  
“Charlie, would you take a short walk with me? Regina, we’ll be back by the time the coffee is done.”  
Regina smiled reassuringly. “I think I’ll study the herbal notebooks for a while. Take your time and don’t rush back on my account. I’ll amuse myself.”  
Patty looked relieved while Charlie retrieved their jackets.  
While they were stepping off the front porch, Regina started up the stairs. As she tucked the notebooks under her arm, she heard Patty say,  
“I’ve missed you...”  
What an odd thing to say, Regina thought, when they had all been here having coffee not that long ago.

TBC...Soon!


	22. Rusty Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're still in Desperation Lake, where the hint of a secret becomes crystal clear.

Underneath The Surface  
Chapter 22 - Rusty Secrets

“And when at last you find someone to whom you feel you can pour out your soul, you stop in shock at the words you utter - they are so rusty, so ugly, so meaningless and feeble from being kept in the small cramped dark inside you so long.”  
Sylvia Plath

 

“I’ve missed you...” Patty said as she stepped off the porch.  
“I know.”  
They turned right and as if they shared the same thought, headed for the same break in the trees. Their feet stepped along a worn footpath as if they had trod this way a hundred times before, and neither said anything until the trees cleared. They stood at the edge of a large clearing, both looking for signs of other visitors. When they found no one else, they walked a few feet to a bench that overlooked the open expanse. They sat there silently for a few minutes before Charlie turned and folded one leg more or less under her. “Something’s on your mind.”  
“I hardly know where to start.”  
“Don’t test the water, just jump.”  
Patty sighed. “I miss you. We used to visit with each other every day, check in by phone at the very least, and now if we see each other once a week I consider myself lucky. What happened?”  
“You did, Patty.” Charlie reached down and took her friend’s hand into her own. “Every time we fracture apart, it’s because you’ve asked for space, whether through guilt or shame, I don’t know, but I have always respected your wishes. We do this time and time again, and I know you’ll always come back to me. You always have. This time ... you just took longer. I’m not sure how long I can keep doing this though. We aren’t teenagers anymore, Patty.”  
“No, we aren’t. We’re middle aged women.”  
“The days just keep piling up on us. One day is a moment, then a month has passed, and we distract ourselves from it so intently that we don’t see that a couple of years has passed. It’s too long, too hard to keep up the front, and frankly, I’m tired of being alone and pretending I’m happy about it.”

 

Patty sighed again. “Callie doesn’t need me the way she used to ... I have more time to hear my thoughts now and I’ve realized I was wrong to try and insulate myself the way I did.”  
“You hid yourself away. You got scared and you bolted back to what you knew best, whether it worked for you or not, and it doesn’t. It’s taken you two years to realize that you need love too. But the thing is, I’m not going to be recycled this time. If you’re in this, then you’re in this. No getting scared or feeling guilty or having second thoughts. Every time we jump on this merry go-round with you telling me that you miss me, and I let you wiggle your way back in, and then I let you slam the door on me. No more, Patty. You’re either all in or we don’t do this again. We’ll stay friends and that’s it.”  
“That’s quite the ultimatum.”  
“That’s the way I feel. We’ve done this time and time again since we were teenagers, and each time it hurts worse. It’s time to grow up. Shit or get off the pot, as it were. Life is too damn short.”

 

“Would it hurt The Moose?”  
“I don’t think so. Besides, I’m working on a couple ideas to see if I can’t offer something new anyway. People will always talk about something or someone. It’s our lives, not theirs. At some point, we’ll have to stand up and claim our own lives and not worry what everyone else thinks.”  
“You’ve always been braver than me.”  
“Sometimes commitment to what’s right is mistakenly called bravery. Sometimes it’s nothing more than sheer stubbornness and an unwillingness to let go of what we want. Tommy would not have wanted you to be lonely, you know that.” Charlie looked out over the view, and knew where Patty’s gaze was settled. On the other side of the large clearing, over to the left, on Tommy’s headstone. They had always come here, even as teenagers, because it was the one place they could be alone to talk. After Tommy had died, they had a different reason to visit, although the bench they had come to think of as theirs was on the far side of the cemetery. “You don’t deserve to be alone, Patty. You deserve to be held and loved and told that you’re special. Why would you deny yourself that when you have someone so willing to do all that for you every single day?”

 

Patty sniffled. She was so damn tired of being alone, and she felt more alone every night. “Sometimes, I doubt I’ll ever have someone to lie beside again, someone that will make my heart race and my skin shiver ... like you used to ... Do you remember?”  
“I remember every time.” Charlie said with a husky tone. “I remember the first time you let me touch you. I remember the first time you cried my name out to the stars, on the beach with a full moon overhead and the waves curling around your body. I remember how you felt under my fingertips and lips. I remember how you felt pressed into me, and under me and over me. I remember every time you would come to me and every time you shared yourself with me. I remember everything.”

 

Patty lifted their still-clasped hands and kissed one of Charlie’s knuckles. “I remember too.” She sat still watching the light deepen and begin to fade. She wondered, not for the first time, if perhaps Regina and Emma had the right idea. Damn any obstacles and chase down what the heart truly wants. She considered Charlie’s words, and thought about how her friend had always been able to make her feel. She thought about Callie’s reaction to their recent house-mates and wondered if her daughter would be as accepting of her own mother. By the time Patty had made up her mind, the sun had nearly set behind the rows of headstones. “Come back to the house with me.”  
Charlie nodded and they rose, albeit slightly stiffly, and made their way back along the path in the failing light.

****

Later that night, when Regina came down for a drink of milk, she spied a vaguely familiar pair of shoes by the front door in the moonlight. At first she thought nothing of them, too caught up in worrying about Emma. It was not until she was putting her glass into the sink that it dawned on her where she had seen those shoes before.  
On Charlie.  
As she made her way back to the stairs, she glanced at the bottom of Patty’s closed door. The light was low and flickering, as if a candle had been lit.  
When she was half way up the staircase, an odd noise made her pause. She listened, wondering if she had merely heard the old house settling.  
When the noise repeated itself, Regina recognized it as a name, and the yearning behind it.  
She smiled in the moonlight and continued on to her room.


	23. The Secrets We Keep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more in Desperation Lake, and a little with Emma & Callie out in the bush.

Underneath The Surface  
Chapter 23 ~ The Secrets We Keep

“Secrets have a way of getting out”  
Susan Ivanova

Patty blew the candle out and burrowed under the covers once more. She scooted up against Charlie and sighed contentedly. She was tired, sated even, but her mind would not rest. She was keenly aware of her feelings for the other woman, and equally aware of how she had kept her at arm’s length. Year after year.   
“I’m so sorry I’ve hurt you.” Patty whispered. “I took advantage of our friendship, and your loyalty to me. I just assumed you’d be there for me all this time and I wouldn’t have to choose a direction. But now ... I’ve made my choice. I choose you. I love you, Charlie. I always have. I guess I just let my fear get in my way.”

“Fear should never be allowed to make our decisions for us, Patty. Love is a much bigger emotion, but sometimes fear is powerful. Love can only be more powerful when we acknowledge our fear and choose love in spite of it. It’s our responsibility to keep growing, keep loving, no matter how much it terrifies us.”

“I thought you were asleep. I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t.”

Patty was silent for a while, absorbing Charlie’s words. “That was pretty deep.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and meditate. My life is pretty much complete, except for one thing. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“You have me now. I won’t let go of you again. To hell with what anyone thinks.”

Charlie sighed and settled more closely around Patty’s body. “Even Callie?”

“Callie won’t see us as a problem. I think somehow that she had us figured out before I did.”

“She’s pretty smart.” Charlie acknowledged. “Sleep now. I’ll be here in the morning.”

****

 

Emma studied the track and the ground around it for a couple of minutes more. She called Callie over and when she drew close, Emma pointed out the track. “I don’t know if your friend is in any danger, so don’t jump to conclusions. Is that her jacket over there?” Emma pointed.

Callie walked over and picked up the item in question. “Yeah, it is.”  
“Bring it with us then. Hopefully we’ll catch up to her soon.”

They had walked for another two hours following a combination of running shoe tracks and broken branches. Every so often, they would see the impression of a hunting boot as well. Repeated calls of her name brought them no closer to Genesis, and eventually they began to feel a chill in the air.  
“You know night isn’t far off. You still okay with sleeping out here?” Emma asked.

“I pretty much have to be, don’t I?”

Emma glanced at Callie, but didn’t answer. 

They kept walking.

When they emerged into a clearing carpeted with moss, Emma suggested they stop. “This might be the best place to set-up for the night. If we keep going, night might not so much sneak up on us but body-slam into us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get caught unaware out here.”

Callie nodded and slid the pack to the ground. She rolled her shoulders a few times to loosen them up and quietly helped Emma set up camp. The tent was soon set up, a small fire started and a pot of water was just starting to boil. Callie dug two tea bags out of the food pack and held one up. Emma nodded and Callie made tea in two metal mugs.

“I don’t suppose we have any honey in there?” Emma asked hopefully.

“It pays to have friends in the food service business.” Callie drew two small restaurant style packets of honey from the pack and passed one to Emma. They drank in silence for a while watching the sky grow darker.   
“So what do you think of Sheriff Stirling?” Emma finally asked.

“He’s ok, I guess. He’s definitely got secrets though.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I watch people so I can draw who they really are. He tries to be a good guy, but he’s hiding something.”

“You sure it’s just not part of his job?” 

“You’re a Sheriff. You don’t act like that.”

“That’s different.”

“Not really.” Callie looked into the flames and an odd look settled on her face. “Everyone has secrets, it’s part of dealing with people. Gen and I had a secret place to hang out, my Mom has secrets, and I think Sheriff Stirling has secrets too. But I think his are part of Gen’s life somehow. Otherwise he wouldn’t be at her house so often.”

“You have a pretty sharp insight into people.” Emma observed.

“For someone my age?” Callie retorted.

“For someone of any age.” Emma replied gently. “I know people twice your age that don’t see the people around them as clearly as you do.”

“Sorry. I’m used to being treated like a kid by most people.”

“It’s okay. I don’t see you as a kid. You’re a young adult with a good head on your shoulders. I grew up fast, never really had a typical childhood. I don’t have a lot of patience for immaturity and mind-games. I don’t see that in you.”

Callie had turned her head to study Emma while she was speaking. She gave her a small smile and said, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Callie watched Emma take a drink of tea. “So are you really as good out in the woods as Regina says?”

“This is a hell of a time to ask that now, isn’t it?” Emma gave the teenager a wry smile.

Callie shrugged. “Do you think Gen is okay?”

“Yeah, her tracks don’t give any sign that she’s hurt or running from someone. Where would she go from the ruins?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t been in the bush since my dad died, and even though we never talked about it, Gen could have been coming out here after.”

“You talked about secrets ... do you think Genesis had any secrets she didn’t tell you?”

“Nope.” Callie answered quickly. “We know each other’s secrets as well as we know our own. I don’t know why Gen would have left the ruins though. Or why she’s still walking.”

“I’m worried that man’s boot track might have something to do with it, honestly.”

“Me too.” Callie said quietly. She rose and retrieved her headlamp. “I’m going to go water the shrubbery. Be right back”

Emma wanted to tell the girl not to wander far, but she bit her tongue and nodded, knowing that particular piece of advice was un-needed. Callie wasn’t gone long.  
“I think I’m going to turn in. I’m not used to walking that far.”

Emma gave a small smile. “I’m going to be up for a little bit yet.”

Callie nodded and went to the tent, but stopped before unzipping the flap. “Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for not treating me like a kid.”

As Emma pondered how to answer, Callie unzipped the tent and crawled in, zipping the door closed behind her.

Emma sat and studied the fire, deep in thought.

TBC


	24. Rescue In The Wilderness

Underneath The Surface  
Chapter 24 ~ Rescue In The Wilderness

 

“Whoever destroys a single life is as guilty as though he had destroyed the entire world; and whoever rescues a single life earns as much merit as though he had rescued the entire world”

Author’s Note: I want to apologize now for the muck-up in formatting of the last chapter. I have no idea what happened, but I fixed it and saved it a few times. If it ever repaired itself, I never saw it. As a reader, I hate when stories aren’t formatted correctly. So I apologize.  
I’d like to reassure my readers that I haven’t lost track of the plot or character evolution. It’s been a long, hard winter here. I am still deeply committed to this story. There are pot-holes ahead, and love and broken hearts, I have no plans to end this yet. Hang in with me. I’d love to hear what you think so far!

****

When Charlie opened her eyes, she was alone. The bed sheets were chilly, and Patty’s pillow was cool to the touch. Charlie dressed quickly and opened the bedroom door. She found Patty at the stove, watching pancakes turn golden. Charlie wrapped her arms around Patty and kissed the nape of her neck.  
“Good morning.”  
“Mmm, you smell great.”   
Patty laughed softly. “You smell the pancakes. You will stay for breakfast, right?”  
“I have some time before I have to open The Moose, yeah.”  
Patty turned, still in Charlie’s grasp. “How do we ... I’m in this all the way ...”  
“Are you going to be okay if ...”   
They both started talking together.  
Patty smiled. “You first.”  
“If I want to hold your hand on a walk, or snuggle while we watch television, are you going to be okay with that?” Charlie asked as she brushed an errant hair back from Patty’s eye.  
“I will. Like you said, life is too damn short.”  
Charlie sighed happily. “What were you going to say?”  
“I was just trying to figure out how to ... be a couple out there, beyond these walls.” Patty said. She laid a gentle hand on Charlie’s cheek. “Your breakfast is going to burn.”  
Charlie smiled and kissed the end of Patty’s nose before releasing her and moving towards the coffee-maker. 

Patty turned back to the stove. “So how is The Moose doing these days, really?”  
Charlie shrugged one shoulder. “It’s doing all right. I think it’s time for a change though. I was hoping to make Regina a part of that if she’s willing.”

“A part of what?” Regina asked from the doorway. “Good morning, ladies.”

“Good morning.” Both women replied together.

“I was hoping I could convince you to help me shake up my menu a little, actually.” Charlie replied. “The menu is generally approved by my customers, but I’d really like it if you would consider becoming my baker. A paying job, of course. I wouldn’t expect you to work for free” Charlie rose and poured Regina a cup of coffee. “Here, you look like you need this.”

“You’re serious?” Regina was surprised.

“Absolutely. Your pie was beyond anything I’ve ever tasted. You’re going to get bored around here pretty quickly, and we could start out slow if you need to. I’m pretty sure we could work out a schedule that would still give you time to garden.”

Patty brought two plates of pancakes to the table, and set one in front of Regina and one in front of Charlie. “I think it’s a wonderful idea, Regina.” She smiled before retreating back to the stove for her own breakfast. Once she had sat down, Charlie and Regina began to eat. There was no conversation as they ate. Regina kept looking at the clock worridly. When Charlie had emptied her plate and drained her mug, she rose and stood beside Patty’s chair and put a hand on her shoulder. “I have to go home and get into some clean clothes. Thanks for breakfast.” Charlie leaned over and kissed the top of Patty’s head. “Let me know when Callie comes home.”

Patty reached up and gave her friend’s hand a squeeze. “I will.”

“Regina, consider my offer and let me know, okay?”

Regina nodded and smiled. 

“Good.” Charlie looked at Patty and winked before turning away for the front door.

Patty sat silently staring into her coffee while Regina loaded the dishwasher. She was lost in thought about change and life in general, while Regina was lost in worry for Emma. 

Silently, Regina left the kitchen and went upstairs to change out of her pyjamas.

**** 

Somewhere out in the woods, Emma was stepping out of the tent and heading for a bush to take care of nature. Already her mind was turning toward their search. As much as she could just break camp and carry on, she doubted that Callie could. She woke the teenager and explained that she wanted to get an early start. She left the teen to wriggle out of her sleeping bag and answer her own call of nature. When Callie came back, Emma handed her a bottle of water and a granola bar. “I’d offer you oatmeal, but I don’t really want to start the fire again.”

Callie nodded and rubbed her eyes. “I’m ok to leave when you are. I want to find Gen, that’s all.”

By the time everything was cleaned up and packed away, Callie was more awake. “Do you remember which way the tracks were headed?”  
Emma nodded and she nudged the ashes of their fire to make sure it was completely out.  
“Will you teach me how to track today?” Callie asked.  
“Sure.”  
They slipped their packs on when Emma was satisfied there was no heat left in the ashes. She found the trail easily and led the way.

**** 

Callie liked to think she was more intelligent than many of her classmates, except of course, for Genesis. Like now. She knew enough to listen for noises that seemed out of place. She knew enough to watch for tracks and natural features that could be used as landmarks. She had watched Emma consult the map and a compass often enough to know they were headed north, but Callie knew she had never been to this part of the woods before. She knew the tread of Gen’s running shoes pretty well, but what she wanted Emma to teach her was how to know where they were, and how to get back without a trail marker or map.  
“Callie.” Emma called out from ahead.  
When Callie had gotten closer, Emma gestured to a bush. “See how it looks pushed down in spots?”  
“It looks like something laid down on it, but only parts of it.”  
Emma nodded. “Look carefully at it, and the ground, and tell me what you think.”  
Callie studied the bush carefully and saw the bruised leaves, the snapped twigs and the scuff marks in a small patch of dirt off to the side. “It looks like ... almost like someone fell into it. Someone put their hand into the dirt, there.” Callie pointed. “But it’s only a part of a hand-print. But it’s my size, so probably Genesis?”  
Emma nodded and shifted the rifle into her right hand. “Either she stumbled or she has company.”  
“I don’t have a good feeling about this, Emma.”  
“Me either, Callie. Let’s keep looking. Keep your eyes open. Good read, by the way.” Emma smiled and looked around them.   
Callie studied the trees and shrubs as well. “There’s a part over there that looks different.” She pointed. “Like someone pushed through the leaves.”  
Emma smiled broadly. “You’ve got the eye of a tracker already.” 

They had been trudging through the trees for hours when Callie heard a noise. “Psst!”  
Even as Callie hissed to get her companion’s attention, Emma had stopped and dropped to one knee. “I heard it too.” She whispered. She watched the teen drop to one knee as well. “But is it Genesis?”  
Callie shrugged and strained to listen, hoping they weren’t about to surprise a bear.  
For a few minutes they heard nothing. Not even birds. Callie waited, watching both the woods around them and Emma. But she barely moved, looking around them carefully.  
So Callie did the same.  
A robin began to sing in a nearby birch tree and Emma straightened up to a half-crouch slowly. Callie looked at her and lifted her eyebrows.  
Emma shook her head and held her hand out, palm down.  
Callie understood and stayed where she was.  
For the longest time all she could hear was the breeze in the leaves, the robin and the sound of her own blood racing through her ears. But then, ever so faintly, she heard a deep muffled curse.  
She reached out and tapped Emma’s calf. When the other woman looked down, Callie pointed in the direction the voice had come from. Emma nodded and put her finger to her lips then motioned for Callie to follow.

They moved silently through the underbrush, until Emma stopped and tapped Callie on the shoulder. She pointed down to a pile of dry branches and shuffled her foot underneath them. Then she looked at Callie and quirked an eyebrow at her.  
Callie nodded to show she understood and did the same.  
They moved slowly toward the voice that had grown louder with confidence.

“Just how far did you think you could get out here, huh?” It was a man’s voice, brash and full of ego. “You’re stuck with me, little girl.”  
“You know by now someone is looking for me.”  
Callie recognized Genesis’ voice and clapped a hand over her own mouth to keep from gasping.  
Emma saw, and nodded.  
“Just sit there and don’t move!”   
Emma lifted her head a little and saw a large man dabbing at his forehead. Then she crouched again and handed the rifle to Callie while she slid the pack from her back, setting it down silently.   
Then she pointed to Callie, then to the ground, indicating that she was to stay where she was.  
Callie nodded.  
“Someone is going to pay to get you back, kid.” The rough voice carried on a shifting breeze.  
Emma straightened quickly and snapped the rifle to her shoulder, aiming it at the man standing with his back to her. “That’s not how this is going to end, Turk.”  
The wrestler turned quickly toward her, but stopped when he spotted the gun aimed at him. “You!”

TBC


	25. Transforming Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma makes contact, of a sort, with the Sheriff and we get a glimpse of Genesis' mother

**_Underneath The Surface_ **

**_Chapter 25 ~ Transforming Secrets_ ** ****

 

**_“A secret’s worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept.”_ **

**_Carlos Ruiz Zafron_ **

 

** **

 

Emma could see that Genesis’ hands had been tied together. “You all right Genesis?”

The girl nodded.

“Turk, step away from the girl.”

The big man wiped dried blood from his forehead. “And if I don’t?” He snarled and glanced to his rifle that he’d set against a tree.

Emma never blinked. “Then I shoot you and leave your sorry ass here for the wolves and bears. Doesn’t matter to me.”

“You don’t have the guts for it!”

Emma answered his accusation immediately with a shot so close to his feet, the dirt sprayed up into his face. “I’m a Sheriff back home and you aren’t the first guy to underestimate me. Want to see what happens when I aim a few inches higher?”

Turk moved three feet to his right.

 

“So you do have a couple of brain cells. Good. Callie, in my back pocket is a pair of cuffs.” Emma never took her eyes off the wrestler as she felt the cuffs slid from her pocket. “Hands behind your back, Turk. I see one movement I don’t like and you won’t have a manhood to worry about.”

 

When the cuffs were around his wrists, Callie went to Genesis and started working on the rope. “Gen, what happened?”

“I was at the ruins when he surprised me. He pointed a gun at me and told me to walk.” Once the rope was off her wrists, Genesis rubbed at her skin and looked at Emma. “Who are you?”

“That’s Emma.” Callie interjected. “She’s staying at our place. Sheriff Stirling asked her to look for you. Thank God you’re okay!” Callie threw her arms around her friend.

The two of them hugged for a minute, until Emma spoke up.

“Callie, you want to get some water and a snack for your friend?”

Callie nodded and as she was unzipping the pack she asked, “HIm too?”

“Kidnapping scum don’t get privileges like that.” Emma replied tightly. “Sit down, Turk.”

The wrestler struggled, but sat cross-legged on the ground.

 

Keeping the rifle still in her right hand, Emma pulled out the radio and keyed the microphone button.

“This is Sheriff Emma Swan to Sheriff Stirling. Come in, Sheriff.”

Only static answered her.

“Emma Swan to Sheriff Stirling.”

A blast of static with background noise like someone was gargling was still her only answer.

Emma keyed the mic again. “If anyone can hear me, please inform Sheriff Stirling that I have the girl and one extra. I need transportation back. We are on-route to the ruins. I repeat, I have the girl, and one extra under guard. Need transportation. On-route to the ruins. Over.”

She held her breath as she listened to the static and watched her prisoner scowl at her. Finally a voice broke through the white noise.

“Swan...”

The signal was sketchy, but a broken message came through.

“Stirling...notified...mother... Stirling...meet at ...the ruins...”

“Better than nothing. Callie, can you take point back to the ruins?”

Callie nodded.

“Good. Genesis, can you take the other pack? I need to watch Mr. Personality here.” Emma jerked her chin at Turk. “On your feet. Any dumb-ass manoeuvres and I’ll neuter you faster than you can run.”

So they headed back with Callie in the lead, Genesis behind her, followed at a distance by a stumbling Turk while Emma brought up the rear. With Genesis carrying the other pack, Emma had slung Turk’s rifle across her own shoulders. She watched him push his way through the underbrush, tripping and cursing. With all the noise Turk was making, she couldn’t hear the conversation the girls were having up ahead.

 

****  

 

“So what happened, Gen? Why’d you take off?” Callie asked. 

Her friend was silent as she tried to decide how best to answer. Finally, she said, “So, in biology class, you get genetics, right?”

“Sort of.” Callie shrugged. “I understand the theory of it, but I don’t get why they tell us brown eyes are dominant, when now a bunch of other scientists are saying no, blue eyes were dominant until only a few generations ago. I mean, make up your mind, right?”

Genesis snorted and nodded. “I’d like to know where I get my dark hair from. My mom’s is light, and I know she doesn’t dye it.”

Callie stepped over a fallen log. “Then I guess it’s from your father.”

“You’re lucky, you got to spend most of your life with yours.” Genesis said. “My mom just keeps saying that we don’t need anyone. I asked her the other day if blue eyes ran in my family, and she could only tell me that her family all had brown eyes. She doesn’t know what runs in my father’s family. Who has a kid with someone without knowing stuff like that?”

Callie nodded. “Did you ever just come right out and ask her who your father is?”

“Yeah, I finally got tired of being given a run-around answer and asked her outright.”

“Didn’t go well, huh?”

Genesis made a face as her dark hair got caught on a branch. “You could say that. We fought. I got frustrated and left. I was only going to be out at the ruins for a little while, just till I cooled off, you know? But ...”

“Yeah, I get it. Turk found you.” Callie stopped and looked her friend in the eye. “Truth time, Gen ... did he hurt you?”

“No, just scared me, really. He stopped one time, he was pissing on a bush, and I gave him a push into it and started running back, but he caught me. He slapped me, but only once. I’m just so glad you and Emma found me...”

Callie swallowed the lump in her throat and hugged Genesis again. “Me too.” She whispered. After a moment, she turned and led the way through the trees once more.

 

****

 

“Sheriff!” A man came running across the field shouting, and Stirling had to squint to try and see who it was. It didn’t take long before he identified Gerrold Scanton.

“Sheriff...they...made...contact...” The young man wheezed out.

“Slow down and catch your breath before you pass out.”

Gerrold shook his head. “Sir, she made radio contact...she...” 

“She who?”

“That sheriff...from the States...you sent...out.” Gerrold was still breathing heavily.

“Sheriff Swan made radio contact?”

Gerrold nodded. “Yes sir. She was trying...to reach you but...she said... she needs a ride out.”

“Did she find Genesis?”

Gerrold had regained control of his breathing. “Yes sir. She said she has the girl and one extra under guard. She said they were headed for the ruins.”

“One extra?” Stirling asked him. “Under guard?” He turned to look across the field at the line of trees, trying to work out what Swan had meant. He was silent for a minute, and Gerrold used the opportunity to catch his breath better. Finally, the Sheriff turned back to him. “For some reason, she has more than just the girls with her. Round up the deputies, tell them to meet me in the trailer in twenty minutes. They are to come armed and on their ATV’s.”

“Yes, sir. Are you going to tell her mother?”

“Damn straight I am. Might be my only chance to ever be a hero in her eyes.”

“Sir?”

“Nothing, just do as I’ve asked.”

“Yes sir.” 

The lawman turned to a nearby ATV, turned the key and drove toward the farmhouse where an anxious mother waited.

 

When she heard the motor coming closer to the house, Genesis’ mother stepped out on the porch. Once he had stopped the ATV and killed the engine, Sheriff Stirling mounted the wide steps.

“Don?”

“Olivia...”

“Oh God, tell me she’s okay!” She sobbed.

Stirling stepped toward her and wrapped his arms around her. “Shhh...she’s all right. She’s been found. One of Patty’s guests is a sheriff from Maine. Callie seems to trust her...she asked her to help look...they found her. They’re on their way to the ruins now. I have to ride out and meet them. She’s okay.”

Olivia Taylor leaned her head against Stirling’s chest and wept with relief. He let her cry for a couple of minutes before he finally spoke. “Liv...I have to get out there. She’ll be home soon.” He felt her nod against him, and she sniffled before stepping back.

He ran one hand down her arm. “I’ll have her back soon, but Liv ... maybe it’s time we finally tell her. There’s no reason to keep fighting. Just give her the answers she wants. It gets harder to keep this secret every year.”

“I don’t know if I can, Don.” Olivia looked at the floorboards beneath her bare feet.

“Just think about it, ok?”

She sniffed and nodded. 

Stirling wiped a tear from her cheek. “I don’t want to keep this secret anymore, Liv.”

Then he turned away and went to bring Genesis home.

 

**_ To be continued... _ **

 


	26. The Returning

**_The Returning_ **

 

**_**Author’s Note: I’m quite pleased with this chapter, although it is a short one. The next chapter is Emma’s return to Regina, and to give that the weight and importance it deserves, this one really had to be a stand -alone. Hence, the shortness. I hope you enjoy it!**_ **

 

[ _The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough._ ](http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/bedejarret104017.html)

[ _Bede Jarrett_ ](http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bede_jarrett.html)

 

As Emma watched Turk carefully for any sign of trouble, she thought about what it was going to be like to get back to Regina. They had only been separated a short time, but Emma missed the feel of Regina’s arms around her. ‘I’m coming, Regina, do you hear me?’ Emma thought. ‘We’re coming home. You said you would hear me. I’m coming home to you, Babe.’

For some time, the four of them made their way back to the ruins in silence. When Genesis stumbled, Emma called out to Callie to stop.

“We’ve been going for awhile, let’s stop and take a break. Dig out some water, okay? Turk, sit down right where you are.”

The big man scowled but did as he’d been told. Clearly, he wasn’t much for strong-willed women telling him what to do. Emma flicked her attention to Callie and Gen sitting close to each other, heads bent in quiet conversation, before addressing her captive. “What the hell made you think you could kidnap a teenaged girl and get away with it?”

“Kids run off all the time, some of ‘em aren’t ever found. Didn’t think it would matter one way or another.” He snarled.

Emma rose from her crouch like she’d been shot and slammed the rifle-butt into his cheek. “You asshole! I’ve got half a mind to shoot your ass! Just shut up…”

 

 

“Whatcha gonna do, blondie, shoot me right here? In front of the kids?”

Emma got into Turk’s face and settled on her knees, so close she was only inches away from him. Her lip curled in rage and disgust. “Both of them are more grown-up and better people than you could ever be.” She ground out between clenched teeth. “I have done things you would never believe and I am not a stranger to death. I will not hesitate to shoot you between the eyes and leave your pasty white ass for the wolves to fight over, do you hear me?” The rolling of thunder punctuated Emma’s words as she murderously glared at Turk. “I don’t give a good goddamn if you make it back at all, so just shut the hell up!” Emma pushed herself to her feet and stalked off a short distance away, but still within view.

“What’s with the sky?” Callie asked and pointed overhead.

Thick, angry, grey-green clouds were rolling in as if pushed by a hellish wind. _‘Shit, ‘Gina, I’ve done it again.’_ Emma thought. _‘I’ve built a tornado! Now what do I do?’_

Regina’s dry chuckle came to mind as clearly as if they stood shoulder to shoulder. _‘Gina, am I now, Miss Swan?’_

Emma rolled her eyes and sighed. _‘Babe...if you really can hear me, I need some help here.’_

_‘Calm your breathing...picture the sky clear and blue and cloud-free...you need to be perfectly calm...the weather reflects what you feel...’_

It took a few minutes, but soon the sky overhead was a tranquil, cloudless blue. Emma wondered if she was losing her mind, but after all that had happened in the past three years, she knew the truth was much more likely. They shared enough of a connection that communicating telepathically wasn’t entirely out of the question for a former Evil Queen and the daughter of true love. 

********

Stirling could see the four deputies waiting for him at the trailer. In the back of his mind, it galled him that he hadn’t been the one to find Genesis. But he knew that what he wanted had never been a priority. If he had just been told...but that didn’t matter now. There was no time for what-ifs, now it was time to go out there and let someone else be a hero. There would be time enough later for Genesis to hate him.

 

**** 

 

Callie heard the four-wheelers first and stopped to wait for the others. She hoped it was the Sheriff, and not some locals looking for fun. She was relieved they had found Gen, but she wanted this little adventure over. She wanted to get back to her house, hug her mother and sleep on something more comfortable than pine boughs. She watched her best friend step over a muddy patch and wondered how terrified she must have been after Turk found her. 

“Call? You okay, you’re looking at me weird...”

“Listen, you hear that, right?”

Genesis cocked her head a little. “Yeah...think it’s the Sheriff?”

“I sure hope so.”

 

“Stop there, Turk.” Emma stood a little behind the wrestler, but off to the side so she could see everyone. “I’d say that’s probably the cavalry.” 

They didn’t wait long before she saw the line of ATV’s weaving through the trees with Stirling in the lead. When he had drawn close enough, he raised his fist in the air to let the riders behind him know they were to stop. He dismounted and went back to speak with his men, who nodded and started to turn their bikes around. He made his way to the little group and smiled at Genesis.

 

****

“You all right, young lady?”

“Yes sir. Callie and Emma found me.” Genesis made brief eye contact, but looked away quickly.

“Good work, Swan. Want to tell me how Turk came to join your little group?”

“I think that’s Genesis’ story to tell, Sheriff.”

“I had a fight with my mother. I was just going to the ruins to cool off, but then, he found me...” Genesis took a couple of shallow breaths.

“You’ll need to file a charge of kidnapping, Sheriff.” Emma added when she saw Genesis’ eyes tear up. “Aggravated assault too, from where he pushed her. After all, he did have a rifle pointed at her.”

“That bitch hit me!” Turk hollered as he jerked his chin toward Emma.

Surprisingly, Genesis scoffed. “The gash on his forehead is where I hit him with a rock. His cheek...apparently he can’t walk very well while cuffed.”

“Is that right?” Stirling studied Callie and Emma’s reactions.

Callie nodded and Emma shrugged and twisted her face into a wry smile.

“All right then. Deputy Harris!” Stirling called over his shoulder. 

A young man came jogging up. “Yes sir?”

“Replace Sheriff Swan’s cuffs with your own, take mine as well and cuff this low-life to the back of my four-wheeler. He’ll ride with me.”

It wasn’t long before Emma was slipping her cuffs into a back pocket, and Turk was being led away. 

“Can’t walk well cuffed, eh?” Stirling asked of no one in particular.

“Apparently, he didn’t think it would matter if she was ever found. Guess his conscience tripped him up.” Emma replied as she held Stirling’s gaze.

No one spoke into the growing silence. They all seemed to be waiting to see what Stirling would do. 

Finally, he wiped his palms on his pants and seemed to come to a decision. “All right then, each of you will ride behind a deputy. Swan, turn over Turk’s rifle to the man who won’t have a rider. We’ll do paperwork back at the command trailer.” He turned to Genesis and put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re safe and sound. I know your mother has been frantic.” Then he turned and gave a sharp nod to Emma. “Let’s head back.”

 

 

 


	27. Contrasts of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At long last, Emma comes "home" to Regina!

 

**_Underneath The Surface_ **

**_Chapter 28_ **

**_Contrasts of Love_ **

 

**_One day you will meet someone who doesn't care about your past because they want to be in your future._ **

**_origin unknown_ **

 

 

The ride back to the command trailerwas a quick one. Emma held on to the grab bars as they bounced over the trail, and she was more than grateful to see a portable outhouse at the end of the trailer. Her part in the search and rescue seemed to have stretched on, and she was glad there had been a positive outcome.

As she was exiting the outhouse, she saw Turk being put into the back of a police cruiser and she shook her head at the man’s stupidity.

“Sheriff Swan?”

“You can call me Emma, Genesis, it’s okay.”

“Thank you for finding me. I ... I thought...”

Emma stepped closer so thatshe could lower her voice and still be heard. “I understand in ways you don’t know about yet. Callie can fill you in, ask her once the two of you get to catch up. But you need to believe me when I tell you that I can be a pretty good sounding board. I don’t judge. I’ve been through more than you might think and I understand all too well the feeling of not belonging and not knowing where you come from. Come see me if you want to talk, okay?”

Genesis nodded, too overwhelmed to put her thoughts into words.

“Callie, you want to walk your friend home?” Stirling called out. “Sheriff Swan and I have some paperwork to do.”

“I’ll drive us back when it’s all done.” Emma added.

 

\---------

 

“There you go.” Emma handed Stirling a sheaf of papers later. “Incident report, chain of evidence form, receipt of loan and return of firearms and unused ammunition. I’ve piled all the equipment you loaned us in the back room. Do you need anything else?”

Stirling leaned back in his chair and regarded Emma thoughtfully. “I have to say, at first, I was skeptical of your involvement. But it all turned out well. While you were filling out the reports, Callie swore you were nothing short of amazing.” Stirling rose and took a step toward Emma with his hand out. “Damn good work out there, Sheriff Swan. I’m glad you were on this.”

Emma blinked. “Umm, thanks.”

Stirling chuckled. “Last week I would have argued that a female Sheriff was a foolish notion. Today...I’m impressed.”

They shook hands and Emma left the trailer.

She found Callie leaning on the truck. “Ready to go home?”

The teenager nodded and they both got into the cab. The truck started easily, but instead of putting it in gear and driving back, Emma turned to her passenger. “Callie, I’m pretty sure this was a new experience for you. If you want to talk about it, any time, don’t be shy, okay?”

Callie nodded. “It’s just kinda ... all still sinking in I think.”

“Things like this have a way of slamming into us in ways we don’t expect, when we least expect them. Even if it’s at three in the morning and you need to talk. Come and talk to me.” Emma reached out and gave Callie’s shoulder a brief squeeze, then put the truck in gear and left the field.

 

When they pulled into the driveway,Regina and Patty were on the front porch waiting for them. Callie opened the door and slid out as the truck was shut off, Emma only a few steps behind her. Patty came down the front steps and met her daughter half way to the house. “Olivia called. Said you found her.” She smiled. 

Callie hugged her mother fiercely. “Thanks for always being honest, Mom.” she mumbled. Then she let go just as suddenly and went into the house.

Patty watched her go, then turned to look at Emma quizzically.

“Talk to her. She’ll be changed by this. She’ll need some support I think.” Emma stuck her hands in her back pockets and gave Patty a small smile. “She’ll be okay.”

Patty nodded and went into the house.

 

Regina came to stand in front of Emma, reached out for her hands and studied her intently for a minute. “You seem changed too. Let’s go in.”

“I could use a bath.”

Emma took the two packs from the back of the truck and they went up the steps holding hands.

Just before they reached the door Regina turned her head and gave Emma a wry look. “Gina? Really?”

Emma laughed as she held the door open.

 

\-------------

 

 

 

Upstairs, Regina let Emma precede her into their room. She shut the door quietly and made her way over to the bed where Emma sat. The former Queen bent and began to untie the tall leather boots she had always secretly admired.

“You don’t have to ...”

“Emma, we’ve been over this. I want to. And besides, no matter how good a bed you may build out of boughs, I know you’re tired.” Regina looked up for a moment, then turned her attention back to the boots. “Word has it you saved Genesis from something unexpected, the least I can do is take my girlfriend’s boots off for her.” Regina felt Emma still above her. It still felt heavy, using the term. She waited, hoping Emma would not make light of it.

She felt a hand stroke her hair and only then did she look up.

“I like the sound of that.” Emma was smiling down at her with a smile that reached all the way to her eyes.

“As do I.” Regina straightened up before leaning in slowly to kiss the blonde. When a wave of happiness flooded in, she pulled back and stroked Emma’s face. “I’ll run your bath, if you like.”

“Hot, please. I need a good soak.” Emma leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Regina. “I missed you so much...”

“I missed you too, love.” Regina bent and kissed the top of Emma’s head. “Would you like some help washing your hair?”

“Does it involve you naked in that tub with me?”

Regina chuckled. “I believe that can be arranged.”

 

It wasn’t long before they were in the large tub, Regina guiding Emma to lean against her. “Have you noticed how our bodies fit together so well? Strange that it took us so long to stop fighting.”

Emma stroked one of Regina’s calves. “I’m just glad we _did_ stop fighting.”

They were quiet for a few minutes, each lost in her own thoughts before Emma asked, “So what did I miss?”

 

“Well, it seems Patty and Charlie have been carrying a torch for each other for quite some time. They’ve finally decided to move forward with a relationship.”

Emma twisted against her to peer back in surprise. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.” Regina chuckled. “Oh, and I was offered a job. Charlie wants to hire me as the baker for The Sneezing Moose.”

“Are you going to accept?”

“I think so. Patty’s gardens won’t need 24/7 attention and you know I enjoy it. Here, scoot forward and lean your head back. I’ll wash your hair.”

Emma did as she’d been asked. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“So of course, there’s all sorts of rumors about what happened out there. What really happened?” Regina wet Emma’s hair as she spoke.

“What sorts of rumors?”

“Thought you didn’t like when people answered a question with a question, Miss Swan?” Regina tugged gently on one of Emma’s earlobes.

Emma chuckled.

“Rumor has it that you saved Genesis from a rapist.”

 

 

“It was Turk.” Emma said simply.

“What!” Regina straightened abruptly.

“Apparently Genesis had an argument with her mother and went to a childhood hideaway to cool off. Ruins of a building out in the woods. Turk stumbled across her there and forced her to walk at gunpoint. I still don’t know where they were going. I imagine it’ll come up when Stirling questions him.”

“Was she hurt?” Regina began to massage shampoo into Emma’s scalp.

“No, but he was.” Emma chuckled. “She had chucked a rock at him shortly before we found them. He’ll have a small scar on his forehead I guess. I asked him later what he thought he was doing, and you know what he said? Kids go missing all the time, he didn’t figure it would matter much if she was found!”

“I’m guessing that’s when you ‘built a tornado’, as you put it.”

“Yeah, after his face met with the gun-stock.”

Regina made a sound in the back of her throat. 

“Bastard’s lucky you haven’t taught me how to rip out hearts.”

 

 

Regina’s hands stilled. “That’s not your way, Emma. There’s a world of contrast between defensive magic and aggressive. 

I controlled. You defend. 

That’s the difference between being an Evil Queen and The Saviour.”

Emma straightened and turned as best she could to see Regina. I don’t see you that way...as evil. You may have been before, but you aren’t anymore. I still don’t see myself as a Saviour, either.”

Regina laid a wet hand against Emma’s cheek. “But that’s who we are, Dear, atour core, we are who you insist we are not. I may not rip hearts out any longer, but it was not so very long ago that I did just that. I ruled through fear, intimidation and misused power. I had people killed merely because they defied me. You know all that already, and yet ...”

“Still, I love you.” Emma finished quietly.

“You have always been a Saviour.” Regina continued. “Henry was right, the legend was right. Yes, I played a part in creating that legend, as did your parents, Gepetto and that damned Blue Fairy...but as you are fond of saying, we make our own choices. We forge our own paths. But for all of your choices, you have always been the Saviour, just as you were with Genesis today. I love you for many reasons, not the least of which is the light you bring to me. Your light balances my darkness, and without one, the other is not whole.We needed to be who we were, to be who we are today.”

Emma studied the emotional brown eyes that peered back at her. “You’ve given this a lot of thought.”

In answer, Regina leaned forward and kissed her gently. “Yes, I have. And when we get home and your parents protest our relationship, that will be my explanation.”

Emma returned the kiss and soon, the touches meant to comfort and reassure turned to heated passion.

“Let me...finish...washing and then I’ll...show you how much I missed you.”Emma said between kisses.

Regina whimpered in answer. 

 

\---------------

 

Later that day, Patty knocked discreetly on their door and called out. “Ladies, dinner is almost ready if you’re hungry.”

Regina raised her head from Emma’s shoulder. “We’ll be right there, Patty.”

Emma sighed. “I guess we’ll have to get dressed then.”

“I’m fairly certain that it’s not appropriate to go to the table wearing nothing but a satisfied smile, Dear.”

“Not even if it’s a very, very satisfied smile?” Emma laughed and kissed Regina once more.

 

When they entered the kitchen, everyone looked freshly scrubbed. Regina made small talk as she helped Patty set the table, both of them insisting that Callie and Emma deserved to rest.

“Do you realize that you two are being talked about all over town?” Patty said as she set a jug of juice out in the middle of the table. “Everyone is calling you heroes, including Sheriff Stirling.”

Callie made a face. “Mom, we didn’t do anything special.” 

Regina crossed the room and kneeled beside the teen’s chair. “Callie, you _are_ a hero. You and Emma worked together to not only find your friend, but rescue her from the control of someone who clearly did not have good intentions. I’m sure your mother will agree with me when I tell you that you had a part in that.”

Patty leaned against the counter, and faced the table, nodding.

Emma spoke up. “Callie, Regina will tell you that I have a bit of a reputation for saving people, whether I want that reputation or not. I would not have known where to look if it weren’t for you. You not only held your own out there, you did it without complaint. You did what needed doing. People expect that of me, I’m a sheriff. No one expected that of you. You went above and beyond to save someone in need. That makes you a hero.” 

Callie sighed in resignation. “I guess...”

Regina chuckled, knowing that tone all too well.

 

A knock rang out from the front door and Charlie called out. “Is that invitation for dinner still good?”

 

**_**Author’s note: Next chapter, Patty and Charlie tell Callie about their on-again/off-again relationship and Emma gets serious about finding magic in Desperation Lake**_ **

 


	28. Shattering Honesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we find out what Sheriff Stirling and Olivia are hiding from Genesis.

****

 

**_“In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot.”_ **

**_Czeslaw Milosz_ **

 

**_Author’s Note: I have been building this scene for a while. I can honestly say I felt bad for Genesis. These characters are beginning to take up places in my heart._ **

**_Enjoy the chapter!_ **

 

“Genesis, can you come down to the kitchen, please? Sheriff Stirling has some questions for you.”

The teenager heard her mother’s voice carry up the stairs. “Be right there!” She called back as she scrubbed her cheeks with the heel of her hands and took a few deep breaths. She didn’t need the sheriff to see she’d been crying. After checking the mirror, she went down to the kitchen. 

The room smelled of brewing coffee and cookies, and her stomach rumbled.

Sheriff Stirling stood as she approached the table. “I know you’ve been through a lot, Genesis, but I’d like to ask you a few things about your time out there, while it’s still fresh in your mind, okay?”

Gen nodded and pulled out a chair.

Once he had sat as well, the sheriff pulled a small notebook and pen from his pocket. “A lot of my job involves reports, and usually the victim gives a report at the police station. But I thought you would find this easier at home. Can you tell me what happened?”

“I’m not a victim. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Genesis replied. “Mom and I had a fight and I took off to the ruins. I needed time to myself. I was sitting there when Turk found me. I didn’t pay him much attention...I wasn’t even sure he had seen me at first. But when he spotted me, he started to laugh and mumble to himself. Then suddenly, he had his rifle pointed at me...said we were going to go for a walk. I told him I wasn’t going anywhere with him. He stormed over to me and slapped me once, told me if I didn’t, he’d shoot me right there and no one would ever know what happened to me. I had no choice...” Genesis stopped to take a breath before her voice cracked.

 

Stirling nodded and wrote in the notebook for a minute. “Okay, so I can charge him with kidnapping, assault, and uttering death threats. Can you remember anything else?”

 

Olivia set a glass of pomegranate juice in front of her daughter and sat down with her hand resting on Genesis’ forearm. 

 

“I didn’t know what to do, so I went along with him...I hoped he wouldn’t watch so closely if he saw I wasn’t going to put up a fight. When we stopped for the night, he told me to gather firewood and pile it. He started the fire while he kept the gun pointed at me. He tied me to a tree so I couldn’t run away, but other than that, he didn’t touch me.”

 

Sheriff Stirling nodded and wrote in his notebook. “Forcible confinement as well. Did he feed you?”

 

“Neither of us were carrying food. He had a water bottle. He did give me a couple of drinks from it. I told him I had to pee and he undid the rope from around the tree....” Genesis’ eyes filled with hot tears of shame. “He wouldn’t turn around to give me any privacy. Said I’d probably try to take off. He didn’t try anything weird...just watched...When I had my pants done up again, he told me to go back to the tree. He tied me up again and laid on the other side of the fire, facing me. I fell asleep that way. He slapped me the next morning to wake me up. I had to pee the way I did before, tied up. He stomped the fire out, pointed into the bush and told me to keep walking. When he let me stop to rest my feet, I threw a rock at his head. I hit him too. That’s when Emma and Callie found us.”

 

Stirling nodded slowly as he wrote her report. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

Genesis shook her head slowly.

“I want to nail this guy with everything I can, so even the smallest detail might help me do that.”

Genesis nodded, took a long drink of her juice and studied the table top. Idly she traced a finger over a gouge while she thought. Finally, she looked up at the sheriff again. “It’s bear season, still, right?”

“For another few days, yes. Why?”

“It probably doesn’t mean anything, but he just had his rifle slung across his back when he found me at the ruins...he didn’t look like he was going hunting. No backpack, no food, no camouflage.”

“That’s good information.” The sheriff wrote some more in his notebook. “He’s been coming here hunting for years, I know how he equips himself...you’re right, doesn’t sound like he was going hunting at all. At least not legally.”

“Can I ask a question?”

Stirling nodded.

“Why do you want to charge him with so much?”

“Besides the fact that it’s my job, I have a vested interest in this case...I want to make sure this bastard doesn’t get out of jail a few months after he’s locked up.”

“Why?”

 

Stirling sighed heavily as if he carried a great weight and slumped a little as he put the notebook and pen back into his pocket. He glanced across the table at Olivia and took a deep breath.

 

“When I was still a young man, in high school actually, I fell in love with a girl. She was the prettiest girl in school and a cheerleader. We dated, had some good times, got pretty serious, actually. I even gave her my high school jacket. Then, all of a sudden, she just up and disappeared. I went to her house and her mother said she’d moved away. Refused to tell me why.” Stirling studied his hands laying on the table. “She returned my jacket to my parents while I was in school. Knocked on our door, and when the door was opened, handed my father the jacket and walked away. I didn’t see my girlfriend for another ten years.” He looked up to find Genesis watching him. “By then, I was a deputy on the police force. I was doing my rounds one day when I noticed a moving truck outside a house. I slowed the cruiser trying to figure out if the people were moving out or in, and I saw her. She looked a little older, obviously, but I knew who she was. I stopped the car and tried to talk to her, but she brushed me off. Every time I tried to talk to her after that, I got the cold shoulder. Finally, one day, I put a tire lock on her car and waited for her.”

Genesis chuckled. “Smart.”

“It was the only thing I could think of to force a conversation. When she showed up, I told her that I was going to leave it there until she gave me a straight answer.” Stirling didn’t raise his eyes from the tabletop. “Told me we couldn’t be a couple, too much had changed, she had changed. She told me we weren’t teenagers any more and that I should move on. Even though my heart was shattered, I took off the tire lock and let her drive away.” Stirling watched as Olivia took cookies from a cooling rack and laid some on a plate. “I stayed away for as long as I could.”

 

Olivia set the plate in front of Genesis and sat down, but laid her hand lightly on Stirling’s arm. “Let me.”

The sheriff nodded silently.

“Gen...Don and I were that couple. I was his high school sweetheart, it was my decision to raise my daughter alone. I regret never telling Don the baby was his.” Olivia put her other hand on her daughter’s arm, linking the three of them together as she continued in a hushed voice. “I regret never telling you that he’s your father.”

 

Genesis felt the air leave her lungs in a rush and her head swam for a moment. Her gaze flicked rapidly between the sheriff and her mother. “Why, Mom? Why did you let me wonder all those years? All the fights we had, all the lies you told me, all for nothing...Why not just tell me in the beginning?”

 

 

Olivia got up and poured two cups of coffee as she started to answer. “When I first found out, I was afraid. Afraid of being pregnant in a small town, afraid of being judged, of the rumors. So I left. I went somewhereelse so I could be just another pregnant teenager. I didn’t want strings attached and I was sure that help came with strings, I refused anyone’s help. So I never told Don I was pregnant. I didn’t want to be beholden to anyone.” She placed a coffee cup in front of the sheriff. “After a while, I was caught up in providing you with a good home and a good life, but when a little girl was kidnapped, I decided it was time to come home and raise you somewhere safer. The irony is not lost on me that six years later you were forced to walk through the woods at gunpoint.” Olivia shook her head at the thought. “Anyway, when I moved back, I told Don that we couldn’t pick up our relationship, I was a different person, that I didn’t have any feelings for him. I was still convinced that help came with judgement and strings. And I fell into the pattern of deflecting your questions.” 

 

Genesis regarded the sheriff quietly. “So how did you find out?”

 

 

“I put the pieces together. I went to your mother, told her I knew, but she didn’t want me to be involved. I had to respect her wishes. I’m not the kind of guy who fights what a mother wants for her daughter. I wasn’t raised that way.” Stirling shrugged. “She would never take any money from me, wouldn’t let me spend time with you for a long time. So I started coming around for coffee, telling her I wanted to spend time with her as an old friend. It was the only way I could watch you grow up. Over time, she relaxed a little.”

 

The teenager shook her head and looked at her mother once more. “What was the big deal, Mom? What would it have hurt to let me grow up knowing my father?”

Olivia scrubbed at her face with her hands and frowned. “Gen...I was raised believing that a woman didn’t need a man. Your grandmother went on about it all the time. I barely knew your grandfather before he died. I didn’t grow up with a very present father. That was just the way the women in our family were. Right or wrong, that’s the way things were done.”

“Well, I’m sure as hell not going to carry on that family tradition!” Genesis shot out of her chair and stomped to the sink, where she looked out the window silently.

Olivia sighed helplessly behind her. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry you lied to me all those years? Sorry you put us all through hell for years, or sorry that you’ve finally had to face it all?” Genesis turned from the window and gestured to the sheriff. “I have no idea how to relate to this man as my father. I have been carrying all those questions for years, and I can ask them now ... but right now, I’m so angry, I can’t think straight! ... You know what? I can’t be here right now, I’m going to Callie’s...probably to spend the night.” The teenager stalked out of the room with her hands balled into fists.

 

@@@@

 

“Genesis...” Olivia rose from her chair.

“Let her go.” Stirling laid his hand over hers. “She has every right to be upset. At least we know where she’s going this time.” He turned his gaze to her then. “I’m sorry, Liv, but she’s right in a lot of what she said. These lies have gone on for years, and I’m not going to judge you, but it’s going to take time to fix this.”

 

@@@@

 

Genesis fumed all the way to the bed and breakfast. It wasn’t a long walk, but it took even less time as her angry strides covered the distance quickly.

She had spent so much time here that she knew she didn’t have to knock. It had been her habit to knock a couple of times anyway before opening the front door. This time, she knocked and met Callie’s mom just inside the front hallway.

Patty took in the teenager’s tear-streaked face, the angry set of her mouth and her heart melted. “Gen...are you okay?”

Genesis nodded. “Can I stay here tonight?” She vaguely noticed Callie coming down the stairs as Emma and another woman came out of the dining room.

“Of course, sweetheart. Does your Mom know you’re here?”

The distraught teen nodded. “She’s kinda why...” Genesis felt her friend put a hand on her shoulder, so she turned. “Callie...my mom...” Her breath hitched. “Sheriff Stirling is my father...” Then she crumpled to the floor in sobs.

 

 

 

 


	29. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a secret is revealed.

Underneath The Surface  
Chapter 29  
Second Chances

Author’s Note: Let me start off by thanking each and every one of you for reading, as well as thanking those who leave their thoughts in reviews. Each one of you, whether you comment or not, makes my writing richer. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. So enjoy this next chapter, and feel free to let me know what you think!

“Sometimes you only get one chance to rewrite the qualities of the character you played in a person's life story. Always take it. Never let the world read the wrong version of you.”  
Shannon L. Alder

“Is that dinner invitation still good?” Charlie called out from the front door.  
“Come on in!” Patty called back before heading to the front door herself.  
Regina straightened and went to the stove where she began to spoon green beans into an earthenware bowl. She could imagine Patty being concerned about telling Callie, and Charlie trying to reassure her. Regina smiled a little and focused on setting all the food out on the table.  
By the time Patty and Charlie came into the dining room, Regina was just settling into her chair beside Emma. 

Everyone made small talk as they began to fill their plates, and as Callie picked up her fork, Patty cleared her throat. “Callie, if you could hang on a minute...”  
The teenager hesitated.  
“We’re all friends here.” Charlie said at the same time Patty hedged with, “There’s something...”  
Callie glanced from one to the other.  
“I know you’ve been through a lot...” Patty began again, before floundering for the right words. “It’s felt like a lifetime since your dad died, and...it...I mean...”  
Charlie turned her water glass in her hands and tried to explain. “What your mom is trying to tell you is that...ummm...she’s lonely sometimes and...while she still loves your dad...she needs to...”   
“Oh my god, you guys.” Callie rolled her eyes. “I already know, so stop trying to explain before you both look like tomatoes. I’ve known for a while now. You two finally decided to stop goofing around and be a couple.”  
Charlie looked up at Callie as Patty did the same. “You already know?”  
“My friends sneak around when they think their families don’t know. I’m pretty good at spotting the signs.” Callie answered Charlie as she reached for the bowl of beans. She glanced at Patty then. “It’s no big deal, Mom, I don’t know why you’re so red. I knew you and Charlie were close, then you weren’t, then you were and after a while I stopped trying to figure you out. Too much drama. But I’m glad you’ve finally decided to come out of the closet.”  
Patty’s face flared red and Emma burst out laughing, despite her best attempts not to.  
Soon, everyone was laughing along with her.  
“So now that your big news is out, can we eat, because I’m starving.” Callie asked as she reached for her fork again.

Once apple pie was served, Charlie leaned on the arm of her chair and spoke up. “Callie, before you and Emma took off after Genesis, I wanted to ask you something. This has nothing to do with your mom, just so you understand. I want to offer you some hours at The Moose.”  
Callie glanced to her mother, who shrugged. “Honey, if you’re mature enough to help save your best friend, then you can make your own decision about a part-time job.”  
“I know Brittany’s grades are slipping. She says her folks are telling her she has to give up her job. Is that why you want me?”  
Charlie nodded. “I have a plan for The Sneezing Moose, and you and Regina are a big part of that.”  
Callie looked confused and looked to Regina.  
“Charlie has offered me a job as her baker, and I’ve decided to accept.”  
“That’s wonderful!” Charlie slapped the chair-arm and looked at Callie.   
Callie shrugged as she gave a half-smile. “Sure.”  
“Perfect!” Charlie grinned. “Regina, if you can swing by The Moose tomorrow, we can chat about the menu, hours and pay.”  
Regina nodded. “I’ll come with Emma when she goes to chop wood.”  
“Perfect!”

++++

After dessert, Callie talked Patty and Charlie into watching a movie with her and Regina and Emma took a walk. As Regina tucked her hand into the crook of Emma’s elbow she commented. “That was quite the dinner.”  
“She really has a knack for cutting through the crap, doesn’t she?” Emma chuckled.  
“Callie, you mean? Yes, she does. That’s good.”  
Emma nodded. “It is. Usually girls her age are all full of themselves. You should have seen her out there, Regina, she didn’t complain once. We got to talking and she’s got a good head on her. She’s pretty smart.”  
“Indeed.”  
They strolled up the main street slowly, not in any hurry, just enjoying the cooling evening air. Regina’s hand on Emma’s arm and Emma as happy as she had ever been. When they reached the high school, the blonde eyed the darkening woods beyond the baseball field and suggested they had back to the B&B.

They crossed the road just as the frogs and crickets joined their voices in chorus. As they watched the setting sun tint stray clouds, Emma reached out and covered Regina’s hand with her own. “You know, if Henry were here, I might be convinced to not go back at all.”   
Regina smiled slightly as they passed a clump of mostly wild lilac bushes. “You too?”  
“I kind of like being accepted for who we are and not history, or fairy tales, or what some damn drunken Dwarf says. Yeah, I miss Mary Margaret...Snow...but I can’t help but think that if you and I hadn’t had all that crap working against us, we might have been friends.”  
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Regina chuckled. “It’s certainly been interesting getting to this point. I rather enjoy imagining all the things I can do with you later. Things will be complicated enough when we get back. Let’s just enjoy ourselves uninhibited for now.”  
“What kinds of things are we talking about?” Emma asked with a glance.  
Regina smirked. “Let’s just say you’ll sleep even better when I’m done with you, Saviour.”  
“Why, that sounds slightly...erotic, your majesty.”  
“Wait till you feel it. You may be changing your mind from slightly erotic to downright smutty.”  
Emma gulped audibly as Regina chuckled wickedly. 

To Be Continued!


	30. Chapter 30

Author's Note: Believe it or not, there is an end in sight. I'd say we have ten chapters or less left in our epic. I know where I want our girls to end up, and right now a sequel is looking possible after that! I do hope you're enjoying the story. I'd love some reviews and recommendations!

Schemes And Scandals

Callie knelt quickly to comfort her friend and wrapped her arms around her shaking shoulders.

"Oh shit..." Emma muttered just as Regina breathed, "Oh dear."

"I'll put the hot chocolate on, Callie." Patty turned and made eye contact with her two guests and twitched her head in the direction of the kitchen.

They followed, waiting until they were in the large room before commenting.

"Wow, that sucks." Emma clasped a chair back. "But at least she knows who both her parents are now."

"Remember the shock your system underwent when you discovered your parentage?" Regina asked.

Emma made a face. "Yeah."

"Patty, would you like me to help put a snack together for the girls?"

"That would be great, thanks, Regina. There's some fruit in the bottom of the fridge. I expect they'll be holed up in Callie's room soon enough. We won't see them until dinner. What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"We were thinking about taking a walk. We always seem to go in the same direction, maybe we'll try the other way today. I have to get back to Charlie's wood tomorrow, so I'm thinking this will be a quiet day for us. Did you decide on a renovations list?" Emma answered.

"I'd like to start on the basement, I think. Right now, it's one big, unfinished room and I'm thinking about partitioning it off. I'd like a pantry. But I'm also thinking about a summer porch where I can do my canning."

"Okay, well, you decide which you want to do first. Do you have any plans after lunch tomorrow?"

"Not yet. If you're available, why don't we sit down and work on the planning?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Emma agreed.

Patty smiled as she finished making two mugs of hot chocolate.

"Ever have that with whipped cream and cinnamon?" Emma asked.

"That sounds like something the girls would like." Patty stepped aside and gestured. "Show me how you do it."

 

Regina smiled to herself as she set grapes on a tray and started popcorn. With every day that passed, she felt more relaxed here, and it was clear the same could be said for Emma.

In no time at all, the three of them had a tray put together with grapes, sliced apple, popcorn, carrot sticks and pretzels.

"I can take the tray up to the girls, if Emma will carry the mugs." Regina volunteered.

"Thanks." Patty smiled. "I have some work to do for the B&B anyway. There's a trail that leads off to the right just past the porch, if you want to explore that on your walk."

"Thanks." Emma picked up the mugs. "We'll be back in time for dinner. Five?"

"More or less." Patty replied.

Regina balanced the tray on one hand so she could knock on Callie's bedroom door. "Callie? We brought you something to snack on."

The door opened and Callie looked out. "Oh, wow, thanks!" She reached for the tray. "This looks good!" She turned and set the tray on the bottom of her bed. "You can come in…"

"Thanks, Callie, but we don't want to intrude." Emma smiled and shook her head slightly.

Callie turned and took the two mugs. "Is that cinnamon I smell? Gen...check this out." She passed her friend a mug.

Regina smiled at the sight of two teenage girls making a fuss over cinnamon and whipped cream. "We're off for a walk. We'll see you both at dinner."

 

Once the door was closed once again, Genesis took a sip from her mug. "This is good. So what's their story, Callie?"

"Who? Regina and Emma?" Callie drank from her own mug before sitting beside her best friend. "They're a couple, but it's recent. Regina says they used to hate each other."

"You and Emma saved me, you know that, right?" Genesis said quietly.

Callie shrugged, still uncomfortable with the idea that she was some kind of hero. "I just knew that something was wrong. I asked Emma to help. She agreed. Stirling knew something was up when he asked us to look for you, apart from the others."

"He knew all this time, Callie. He knew he was my father and never said a word! He said he wanted to respect my mother's wishes!"

"I know it's not easy, Gen, but maybe now you can finally get some of your questions answered. When things settle down a bit, talk to him. Ask him about his family."

"And if my mom tries to squash it, like she did before?"

"Stick to your guns. You're old enough in the eyes of the law to have a legal right, as far as your family goes. We don't have that much more time in high school, she can't say you're a kid any more." Callie reached over and snagged a pretzel. "Besides, you have a chance to have a father. That's worth fighting for."

 

Once they had stepped on the path, they were shielded from prying eyes by a wall of trees and shrubs on either side. Regina reached down and interlaced Emma's fingers with her own, content to quietly hold her girlfriend's hand while they walked. She could hear crickets off in the distance and sunshine lanced through the leaves overhead.

"You know," Regina began, "If it weren't for Henry still being in Storybrooke, I'd suggest we make a life for ourselves here."

"I've thought the same thing." Emma confessed. "We are kind of doing that anyway, aren't we? I mean, Charlie obviously has her plans, and I'm doing what I do…" Her voice trailed off and Regina waited for her to continue her thought. "On one hand, I want to say forget it, we'll settle in here and not have to deal with all that other crap, just be ourselves, you know?"

"Mhmhmmn." Regina agreed.

"But then, neither of us are the kind to just give up when we want something. It'd be great if we could go back, get the kid and then bring him back here, but that's not realistic either. So where does that leave us?"

The two of them walked in silence after that, neither sure of the answer.

It wasn't long before they came to a break in the trees and looked out over the cemetery.

Without discussion, they sat on the bench and contemplated the markers and statuary.

"Perhaps," Regina finally spoke. "We should do both. What's that saying you're always quoting...those who fail to plan, plan to fail."

Emma regarded Regina with a wrinkle between her eyes.

Regina sighed and tried again. "What I'm trying to say, dear, is perhaps we should do both. Make a life here, permanently in case we cannot get home, but keep trying everything we can to return to Storybrooke."

Emma turned her face back toward the open expanse and sighed. It was some time before she spoke again, but when she did, she sounded almost defeated. "I guess you're right."

"You don't agree?"

"I do, but I don't like that we seem to have no choice in this. I want to tell you that I'm sorry I got us into this mess, but I already know what you're going to say. You're going to tell me that it wasn't my fault, and on some level, I get that." Emma ran a hand through her hair quickly. "But on a deeper level … it wasn't you that formed that portal."

Regina let her thumb stroke Emma's hand softly. "Be that as it may...at least we are together."

Emma only sighed again and rested her head on Regina's shoulder.

####

The next day, Emma pulled the door to The Sneezing Moose open and stepped back to allow Regina to precede her. The brunette smiled in gratitude and headed for a booth at the back. It didn't take long for someone to approach with a coffee pot, a teenager neither had seen before. Once the cups were filled, she left their table without ever saying a word. Charlie approached their table before either of them had taken their first mouthful of coffee.

"You have some shy staff." Emma commented with a nod toward the teen.

"Sorry...she's a hard worker, but the quiet type." Charlie replied. "You want something to eat now or after?"

"Let me work up an appetite first I guess."

"No problem." Charlie smiled. "I'll go get some things done in the kitchen and leave you two alone. Regina, we'll talk when Emma goes outside?"

"Of course." Regina gave Charlie a mischievous grin. "We can't have Emma overhear our plans to take over Desperation Lake, now can we?"

Charlie laughed, shook her head and went back to the kitchen.

When Emma rose from the bench, she gave Regina a smile and squeezed her shoulder gently. "I'd give you a kiss, but…" she said quietly.

"We don't want to scandalize the town just yet, dear." Regina chuckled.

"You two have fun scheming."

"Beer when you're done, Emma?" Charlie asked from behind her.

"It's been so long since I've had one, I might have to kiss the person who hands it to me."

"I'd better let Regina handle that, then!" Charlie laughed.

####

A couple of hours later, Emma's shirt was soaked through and her palms burned. She had chopped a large pile of wood, now all that remained was to stack it neatly so it could cure properly. With a grunt, she sat down heavily on the stump. She blew out a heavy breath and stared down at a chip of bark. Idly, she began to think about the wood chip moving just a little….

"So if we add apple muffins to the specials board on Monday, apple pie on thursday and lasagna on friday, that won't be too much?"

Regina scoffed. "Please, Charlie, back home I cooked much more than that on a daily basis! I'll be fine! I did notice one thing though.."

"I'll take any advice, Regina. I'm not made of china...tell me."

"You have no salads on your menu. Why is that? Surely Desperation Lake must have a vegetarian or two."

"Honestly, no one asked and I never thought about them."

"I love a good salad. I make one with sunflower seeds and cheese cubes with a creamy dressing….crisp romaine, carrots, a little bit of radish….I have been known to have nothing but salad for lunch, just ask Emma!" Regina chuckled at the memory of Emma's face when she had seen nothing but salad on Regina's plate that day in Granny's.

"Speaking of Emma...I should get you that beer for her. She's likely to have worked up a thirst by now!" Charlie stood and disappeared into the back.

When she came back with a large, frosted glass, Regina said, "I didn't realize you were licensed."

"Yep, as long as I serve in a limited time frame and my servers are over the age of majority, it's all good. I keep a limited supply to make things easier all the way around but I'd still like to learn how to make your hard cider."

"One thing at a time, Charlie." Regina laughed. "I'll take this to Emma."

"I'll go re-write the specials board."

Regina went out the back door shaking her head.

She wasn't stealthy, but didn't announce herself either. When she saw that Emma was focused on a wood chip on the ground, Regina hesitated.

Even for all the magic that she had seen and done, she was still surprised to see the wood chip skip an arms length away.

TBC!


	31. An Opposing and Unaware Partnership

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things move, things are scattered and our girls have a fight.

Underneath The Surface  
An Opposing & Unaware Partnership

 

Author’s Note: I am forever indebted to lzclotho, without whom my writing would be flatter, duller and without spice. I tip my hat to her talent and raise a glass to her generosity.

 

“Did you just…?” Regina glanced from the wood chip to Emma, who looked back with wide eyes.  
“I think I did, yeah.”  
Regina took a step closer, the beer in her hand forgotten. “Can you do it again?”  
Emma turned her attention back to the wood chip, focusing so hard that Regina half expected it to burst into flame. After two minutes of nothing but fresh sweat sliding down Emma’s temple, Regina stepped forward and rested her hand on Emma’s shoulder lightly. “Stop. I don’t want you to overexert yourself. Drink.”  
“Thanks.” Emma slumped and wiped the sweat away before reaching for the glass mug with a shaking hand. She drank half of it without stopping. When she finally stopped to breathe she said, “It’s like running. It’s a good feeling when it works, but damned exhausting.”

Regina nodded, understanding the feeling all too well. “It’s curious that your magic is working, even just a little, while mine remains elusive.” She murmured, trying hard to squelch the niggling jealousy. “Perhaps it has something to do with being the child of True Love...Your magic is elemental, whereas mine had to be learned, and fought for.”  
Emma shrugged. “I don’t know enough to have a good answer for you, Regina.” She looked back at the wood chip and drained the rest of the glass before setting it on the stump.  
Regina took a couple of steps toward the diner and chewed her bottom lip silently for a few heartbeats as a suspicion slowly took root. “Have you attempted this before?”  
“Yeah, a few times, but I never got results like that.”  
Regina spun on her heel with a frown. “You’ve done this before and never told me?”  
“I was getting these headaches afterwards...I didn’t want to worry you.”  
“What happened to being a team, Emma? What if one of those times something had happened?” Regina was on the verge of yelling.  
“I wasn’t thinking about that. I just…” Emma reached for her girlfriend’s arm.  
Regina batted the hand away. “Don’t! Just…” Regina backed away, her upraised hand still warding off any intimacy. “I need to...I need to figure out what this means.” Regina turned  from Emma and stalked away around the corner of the building.

“Shit!” Emma dragged her hands through her hair, scrunched up her face at how dirty it felt and kicked viciously at the wood chip. She glanced up in the direction Regina had taken, sighed heavily and followed her girlfriend.  
Thankfully, Emma met no one as she made her way to the B&B and up the stairs to their room. She was met with a cold, stony silence as she entered and quietly shut the door behind her. “We should talk about this.”  
“Now you want to talk?” Regina sat rigidly on the bed with her back to the door. “You didn’t seem to feel the need earlier.”  
Emma stepped around the bed. “I’m sorry, I really was trying to keep you from worrying. I love you, ‘Gina.”  
“You certainly have an odd way of showing it.”  
“Look, I didn’t mean to hurt you…”  
“You didn’t mean to, Emma?” Regina shot off the bed and advanced with a dangerous glint in her eyes. “You never mean to hurt me, but somehow you always do! You have made a career out of doing what you thought was best, and to hell with what anyone else thinks!”

“That’s not fair, and you know it.” Emma replied quietly.  
“Not fair?!” Regina’s voice was rising. “Not fair? What isn’t fair is being dragged into some place I don’t know with no way to get back, not having my magic and being expected to be happy when I find out the woman I love has been keeping something this important from me!”  
“Regina, I’ve told you before that I was sorry for that damned portal…”

“So you have, but do you mean that? Or were you hoping that maybe I wouldn’t find out that you had your magic back?”  
“Regina, you need to calm down, someone is going to hear you…”  
“Right now I couldn’t care less, Emma! When were you going to tell me? Or were you ever going to? Were you hoping you wouldn’t have to? Perfect a portal and leave me here? Go back to Storybrooke, back to our son and leave me?”   
“Regina, you’re being ridiculous now…”  
“Am I?” The brunette’s eyes narrowed. “And you aren’t? You don’t understand…”  
“I understand all too well!” Emma interrupted. “You don’t think I feel bad for bringing us here? You don’t think I feel the slightest bit guilty that I have my magic back, which I don’t even damn well understand on the best of days, while you don’t? You don’t think I haven’t noticed you seem to be settling in and getting all cozy?”

“What choice did I have?” Regina spit back. “You were off being the goddamned Saviour again...saving someone else’s child while we’re separated from ours! What was I supposed to do, wait at home for you like a meek little girlfriend? I don’t think so! That’s not me and you know it!”

“I know you’re not used to this kind of life, Regina…”  
“You’ve got that right!”  
“I know you’re out of your element here…” Emma tried to be reasonable. “But what did you expect me to do? Even back in Storybrooke, I’m expected to ‘fix’ whatever happens. They put the title of Saviour on me, I never wanted it and you know that! So what was I supposed to do, turn down Callie when she asked for my help?” 

“You left me, Emma!”  
“I didn’t think you need hand holding!”  
“I don’t! I needed my girlfriend!”  
“I was here!” Emma gestured wildly at the room.“Every day we’re here, I see you settling in, taking on this position with Charlie, working on Patty’s gardens, what was I supposed to do? While you were smiling and baking and looking for all the world like you were home, all I could think of was getting back to Henry! Every time I made the weather change, every time I made a chunk of wood move even an inch, I was that much closer to getting us home.”  
“When you weren’t saving that girl, you were off cutting wood, or doing something for Patty, making yourself available to everyone but me!” Regina pounded at Emma’s chest with a closed fist. “Every night, you fall asleep exhausted beside me. I read that blasted book night after night, and I am no closer to getting back to our son than I was when we first got here.” 

Regina shoved away from Emma. “I got out of a lousy, abusive childhood by doing something! Learning magic. I thought my happiness would be in making a town I could run, so I did what I had to to create Storybrooke. I killed my own father to get what I thought I desired most, Emma!” The admission crumpled Regina slightly.   
“I have always done what needed to be done, and we get here and I can’t do a damned thing but read books! I can’t find the answers there. I’m not supposed to be upset when I find out you’ve been keeping things from me?!”

Emma paced to the dresser. “Damn it, Regina, it’s not always about you, it’s…”  
“It’s about getting home!”  
“You don’t trust me!” Emma’s hand shot out and swept the stack of books onto the floor. “You’re so busy thinking I’m going to abandon you…”  
“Everyone else has!” Regina crossed quickly to pick up the book on spells. “All my life it’s been a fight for control!” She clutched the book to her chest, not caring that the others remained at their feet. “Everyone else steered my life the way they thought it should go, and only magic…”  
Emma grabbed Regina’s upper arms and shook her. “This is me! Not Rumple, not your mother, but me! How many times do I have to save your ass to get that through to you? How many times do I have to tell you I love you? That I won’t abandon you? How many times do I have to show you I’m on your side?”  
Regina twisted away, kicking the books still on the floor. ”As many times as it takes!”  
Emma stepped in front of Regina and wrapped her arms around her.   
Regina struggled to step out of the embrace, but Emma held firm. “People lie, Emma, you know this as well as I do. What matters is what people do, time and time again.” Regina’s voiced cracked. “Both of us have learned that the only way to survive was to count on ourselves. Here, we have each other, and I need to know that...” Regina took a deep breath. “That I can still count on you…”  
“Always, ‘Gina, always.” Emma sighed heavily and kissed Regina’s forehead. “So what do you want to do?”  
Regina blew out a shaking breath and leaned into Emma’s chest. “I want to go home to Henry. I want to work together. No more secrets, no more trying to shield me from the truth. We have always been stronger when we work together. With the wraith, in Neverland, even against your parents. We need to work together.”

“What do you want to do?”  
“Well, we could explore the lust to magic ratio.” Regina looked up into Emma’s eyes hopefully.  
Emma wiped the tears from Regina’s cheeks and chuckled. “I like the sound of that.”  
“Stay with me. To hell with the wood, and the renovations. Let’s…”  
Emma silenced Regina with a kiss. “Yeah, I think I hurt something earlier. Maybe I need a massage or something…” Emma eased the book from Regina’s grip and blindly tossed it onto the dresser. “Share a bubble bath?”  
“That sounds divine.” 

They had just stepped out of the tub and had started to dry off when a knock came at their door.  
“Regina? There’s a phone call for you downstairs. It’s Charlie. She wants to know if you can come over to The Moose for a few minutes.”  
Regina blew out a resigned breath and turned to Emma even as she answered Callie. “Give me a minute, Callie? I’ll get the phone.”  
They heard the teenager retreat.  
“What do you think, Emma?”  
“I’m tired. Fighting with you is exhausting.” Emma smiled reassuringly. “You go find out what Charlie wants.”  
Regina stepped into Emma’s space and ran a long finger down a collarbone. “We could still try some things later tonight. I can get some herbs from the diner that might help.”  
“We going to try that lust to…” Emma swallowed hard as Regina’s touch quickened her pulse.  
“I thought we might.” Regina purred.  
“You don’t need herbs for that, babe. Your touch alone…” Emma drew in Regina’s scent. “Go answer the phone, but don’t forget our date.”  
Regina kissed her lightly. “Oh, I won’t.”  
Emma chuckled as Regina stepped away to finish dressing. “I just remembered, Cinderella had to be back by midnight or the spell would be broken.”  
“Oh, I’ll be back long before then. There is a reason it’s called the witching hour. We may find more success at the stroke of midnight…”  
“At the stroke of something anyway.” Emma replied with a grin.  
Regina’s face pinked. “Indeed, love. Rest. I’ll be back soon.”

Inside the Sneezing Moose, Regina spotted Callie watching for her in a booth at the back. The teen waved her over and Regina joined her sliding into the bench opposite.  
“I hope you don’t mind, I needed to talk to you outside the house, but without mom finding out.”  
“Ah. That explains why the phone was hung up.”  
“Actually, there was no phone call.” Charlie appeared beside the table with a cup of coffee for Regina. “Callie has an idea and I thought I might be a good excuse to get you out of the house. Hope we didn’t disturb you.”  
“It’s fine. I was out of the bath by then anyway.”  
“Are you hungry?”  
“A little.”  
“You like cheeseburgers, right?”  
“I’m not supposed to, but perhaps I can get away with one today. There are times that a cheeseburger can be quite satisfying.”  
Charlie smiled. “One cheeseburger, coming right up.”  
“So what are you up to, Callie?” Regina sipped at her coffee.  
“Well, I was thinking...Mom hasn’t really had any time off in weeks. I’d like to make a nice meal for her, but …”  
“I see.”  
“You’re such a good cook, and I could learn a thing or two from you in the kitchen. Charlie said she could take mom to a movie afterwards.”  
“Hmm. Let me think about it for a bit. I may have a few suggestions for you.”  
“Cool, thanks!” Callie took a cookbook from the bench beside her and began turning pages.  
Regina cradled her cup and watched the front of the diner thoughtfully.

When she had finished her cheeseburger, Regina excused herself and went to talk to Charlie at the long counter. “Charlie, I was wondering I could borrow a few herbs.”  
The older woman, so much like Eugenia Lucas, chuckled. “It’s not like I’ll be wanting those back when you’re done with them. You take whatever you need.”  
Regina smiled and nodded once. “I suppose that’s true. Thank you.”  
“Anytime. How was the illicit burger?”  
Regina’s brow furrowed.  
“Anytime someone looks that guilty over a cheeseburger, they’re either dieting or think they aren’t allowed for some other reason.”  
Regina chuckled. “It was very good.”  
“Do you have any plans this afternoon?”  
“Emma thinks she may have strained something earlier, so she’s sleeping right now. Why?”  
“I was wondering if you could show me how you make your apple strudel.”  
“I have time. Just let me get my cup and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” Regina strolled back to the booth. “Callie, Charlie wants me to show her how to make my strudel. Would you like to help me?”  
“Sure.” Callie smiled and scooted out of the booth and into the kitchen.

 

Regina had just finished taking a tray from the oven when they all heard the phone ring.  
“I’ll get that. Be right back.” Charlie said.  
“Callie, can you get the other two trays out and set them here on the cooling racks?” Regina asked.  
“Sneezing Moose…” Charlie’s voice floated back. “Oh hi! Sure, yeah I’ll go get her.”  
Charlie came halfway back into the kitchen. “Regina, Emma’s on the phone for you.”  
Regina wiped her hands on the apron she had tied around her waist and followed Charlie until she came to the end of the counter. As she turned to go to the customer side, Charlie spoke up again.   
“You can stand on this side, you know. You are the Sneezing Moose’s baker after all.”  
The brunette smiled quickly and stepped to where the phone lay waiting. “Emma? Is everything alright?”  
“Sure, yeah, just wondering what you were up to.”  
“Charlie asked me to show her how I make strudel. I thought that since you were napping…”  
“I get it, no problem.”  
“Are you hungry?”  
She could hear the smile in Emma’s voice. “I’ll be right there.”  
Regina hung up and turned to Charlie. “Emma is on her way over. Have I ever mentioned that she eats like a teenager?”  
“I’ll put another burger on.” Charlie laughed.

Once Callie and Regina had cleaned up the mess they had made in the kitchen, they went back to the booth. They had no more than settled on their seats than Emma strode through the front door.  
Regina slid herself and her coffee over to make room and smiled at her girlfriend. “Did you get any rest?”  
Emma shot a smile across the table. “Hey Callie.”  
“Hi Emma.”  
“I slept like a baby.” Emma answered Regina’s question. She felt Regina take her hand under the table and give her fingers a gentle squeeze.   
“What are you up to?” Emma glanced at the cookbook in front of Callie.   
“I want to make a nice meal for my mom, I’m thinking Mexican since there’s nowhere in D. Lake to get it.”

“D. Lake?”  
“It’s what all my friends have shortened it to. We all call it that.”  
“Gotcha.”  
“So I was hoping Regina would…”  
“Wait, let me guess.” Emma chuckled and held up a hand. “You’re hoping Regina will cook this meal for you.”  
“Well, she is a really good cook. And Charlie offered to take Mom out to a movie afterwards. I could stay at Gen’s house for the night…” Callie turned to Regina with a bright smile.  
“Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.” Emma commented.  
“There is a movie Patty has been wanting to see…” Charlie said as she set a cup of coffee down in front of Emma. “Besides Regina and Emma, you don’t have any guests right now, do you, Callie?”  
“They’re more like family now than guests, Charlie!”  
“When would you like to …?”  
“Carry out Operation Enchilada? As soon as possible.” Callie replied.  
Regina inhaled in surprise and began to choke and splutter. Emma patted Regina on the back until she regained control over her breathing.  
“You’re supposed to drink it, Regina, not inhale it.” Emma said. “You named your plan?”  
“Why not? They name military maneuvers all the time don’t they? How long would we need, Regina?”  
“Well, you need to decide first on the dishes you want to make, we’ll need to shop for the meal, figure in cooking time...I think tomorrow could be the soonest we could pull this off.”  
“I can decorate a little. Make it more romantic.” Emma offered.  
“You can hide the shopping and cook here if that’ll make it easier.” Charlie suggested. “It’s pretty quiet after the lunch rush.   
“I think that’s a splendid idea.” Regina agreed.  
“Callie, give me a hand in the kitchen, will ya?” Charlie asked.  
“Be right back!” The teenager scooted off the bench and disappeared into the kitchen.

“You all right?” Emma peered at Regina while she rubbed her back.  
“I’m fine.” Regina smiled quickly. “I wasn’t expecting her to name  it…”  
“I know, sometimes she reminds me so much of…”  
“Here we are!” Charlie interrupted and sat two plates down, one in front of each of them.  
“What’s this?” Emma glanced up in surprise.  
“Regina showed Callie and I how she makes her strudel, so I thought it only fair that everyone gets a piece!” Charlie smiled and moved off to help Callie serve everyone else in the diner as well.  
“Okay then.” Emma picked up her fork and began to eat. Before she even finished the flaky pastry, her cheeseburger had been brought to the table. “Dessert before dinner.” She added so quietly that only Regina would hear. “I can only imagine what Snow would say.”  
Regina made a noise of agreement around her fork.

“So after we’re done here, what would you like to do?” Regina asked once she had finished her slice of strudel.  
Emma chewed and swallowed. “Well, I believe I promised my girlfriend some lusty alone time,” she replied in a hushed tone.  
“I have some herbs that we might find helpful, and yes, I know what you’re going to say, but hear me out, dear. There were plants back in the Enchanted Forest that would assist one in reaching certain goals.” Regina replied just as low. “I’m hoping that we may find the same true of the plants here. Besides, you aren’t going to turn down a massage with warmed oil, now are you?”  
Emma turned her head ever so slightly. “That depends, what’s going to be in the oil?”  
Regina chuckled. “Relax, I’m not going to lace it with marijuana.” She reached under the table and gave Emma’s thigh a gentle squeeze. “I promise you will enjoy it though.”  
“In that case, I’ll skip the second beer.” Emma murmured and focused on finishing her burger.

 

To Be Continued


	32. The Temptation To Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our girls decide they might like the best of both worlds.

The Temptation to Change

Author's Note: Please, no hate mail! (You'll understand when you see the end of this short chapter) Bear with me, my dear readers, I have not abandoned this story. There has been a sudden and unexpected upheaval in my life I am still trying to get adjusted to. No worries, it's all good.

After dinner that night, Regina and Callie cleaned the kitchen while Patty went to see Charlie. Emma sat out back and watched the stars appear. She could hear them speaking quietly, but her mind wasn't on their conversation. It was back in Storybrooke, with Henry and her parents. She remembered taking Henry back to Regina, vowing she would only stay at the B&B one night before heading back to Boston. She remembered a time when the last thing she wanted was roots. But here she sat, wishing she could go back to her family without hurting her friends here. She sat in the dark, wondering what her parents would say when she told them about the relationship that had grown up between she and Regina. Emma hoped they would be happy for her, but knowing all their history, she knew it would more than likely degrade into a shouting match full of hurt feelings and accusations.

She heard the patio door slide open and she turned her head to watch Regina settle into the seat beside her.

"You've been pretty quiet tonight." Regina entwined their fingers together.

Emma blew out a sigh. "I meant what I said earlier, you know. I won't leave you, no matter what anyone says."

"Ah. Thinking about what your parents will say when we tell them about us?"

Emma nodded and turned to look at Regina in the glow of the light inside. "I love you. I don't care what they say."

"Yes you will. You searched your whole life for your parents. You wanted acceptance and love." Regina kept her gaze on the yard, but didn't relinquish her hold on Emma's hand. "Look at all of the horrible things I did, still hoping my mother would finally approve of me. It's only natural, or so Archie told me. The question is, what we will do with their reactions, and Henry's, when we tell them?"

"Well, whatever they do won't change how I feel about you." Emma's hold on Regina's hand tightened slightly.

"Even if your parents forbid you from having a relationship with me?"

"The last time I checked, Regina, I was an adult."

"I am keenly aware of that, dear, but your parents do have a tendency to be…" Regina searched for a descriptive term.

"Pains in the ass?" Emma supplied.

Regina chuckled. "Indeed."

"Well, they can get over it. Because I have no intention of ending our relationship because they want to be overbearing royals."

"I was once an overbearing royal, if you recall."

Emma smiled in the dark. "I'm sure you were, but I'll bet you were sexy as hell."

Regina sat straighter and assumed a haughty tone. "Of course. I was the Queen, after all."

Emma chuckled and shook her head.

They had sat quietly for some time before Emma spoke up. "Once we leave here, is there any way we can come back?"

"I suppose there must be a way. Anything is possible." Regina turned to look at Emma.

"I don't see how we can just disappear without seeing through what we started, and then come back like it's all okay."

"I know. On one hand, I wish we could see through the things we've committed to, but that means more time away from home."

"I don't suppose there's such a thing as doppelganger magic?" Emma asked hopefully.

"There is, but it's quite involved and time consuming. There's also no guarantee that our doppelgangers could ensure us a warm welcome when, and if, we returned. When I was still learning under Rumple, I heard of a king from another kingdom who tried to leave a doppelganger to rule while he went off into the countryside. He came back to find his kingdom at war, his court plotting his murder and his wealth gone."

Emma sighed. "So unless we can come up with some reasonable, non-magic explanation why we left as abruptly as we showed up, we're burning our bridges behind us."

"I'm afraid so, dear."

"I hate lying. I've been lied to so many times…"

"Is that where your self-proclaimed super- power comes from?"

"Yeah, I guess so. It's the worst kind of betrayal. I hate thinking that we either have to lie or leave them in the lurch."

"Or we could wait a little longer, and wrap things up here properly."

Emma turned to study Regina. "I thought you wanted to get home?"

To be continued!


	33. Passion's Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexy SwanQueen ahead!

_**Passion's Lights** _

_**Author's Note: As always, I owe LZClotho a huge debt for her time, advice and insight. The end is in sight my dears! I hope you enjoy this chapter.** _

"I do." Regina turned her head and even in the dim light Emma could see the brunette's sincerity. "But it would bother me knowing that we had simply turned our backs on the friends we've made here."

Emma smiled in response.

"What?" Regina's brow furrowed.

"Henry saw the changes in you before anyone else did, and my parents are always asking how I'm so sure you've changed."

"And?"

"Your answer." Emma replied. "The old Regina wouldn't care who she hurt to get what she wanted."

Regina sat up straighter. "Back then, I hurt people simply for my own amusement. I'm no saint, Emma."

"I know you've changed." Emma's thumb rubbed the back of Regina's hand.

"Yes...well...perhaps Archie was right when he said love could achieve great things."

The two of them sat quietly, content to hold hands. They could hear the pines sighing as a breeze blew through the needles, and somewhere off in the distance an owl called.

"Would you hate me if I suggested we stay here just a little longer?" Regina finally asked.

"Even when we fought all the time, I didn't hate you. But what brought this on?"

"I would like to have the possibility of returning here some day. I believe Henry would like it here. I think he would like Callie..."

Emma chuckled. "Really, Regina? You're already thinking about our son's love life?"

"I am merely considering a future where we may wish to return with Henry, and how it might benefit him. Besides, back in the Enchanted Forest, it was common for royalty to have a summer home. Your parents had one."

Emma reflected on the fight they had earlier, and countered that with the possibility of coming back to Desperation Lake, bringing Henry back with them, of making a home here in the summer. "Is that something you might want? A home outside of Storybrooke?"

"Once, I wanted control. I believed it would bring me happiness. But what I needed was love, and I have that now, with you and Henry. I'd like to have the chance to enjoy that like everyone else. But how do you feel about it?"

"Henry has grown into an amazing kid that I am so proud of." Emma ran her free hand through her hair as she spoke. "I want him to be more than a sheltered, privileged prince. I want him to be well-rounded, care about others even if they're strangers, I want him to lead with an open mind. If we can bring him back here, maybe we can stretch his horizons a bit."

"So you aren't angry with me for suggesting it?"

"It would be nice to be able to sleep late and know I don't have to be the Sheriff and Savior."

"You have the option of sleeping in now."

"That's true..." Emma rose from the chair and stood in front of her girlfriend, holding her other hand out. "I'd like to see you in bed, but not sleeping."

"Why, Miss Swan, that's quite a suggestive statement." Regina smiled.

"You drive me crazy when you smile like that, you know."

"That's good." Regina reached one long finger out and stroked Emma's jawbone. "Because I intend to having you begging for more by the time I'm done with you tonight."

Emma swallowed hard.

"I'm going to make us some tea, why don't you go upstairs and turn down the covers?"

"Tea? You're thinking of tea now?"

"Yes, love, one that I hope will boost our magic." Regina whispered as her lips brushed the blonde's earlobe.

"Oh...special tea." Emma's breath hitched.

"Indeed. I'll join you shortly."

* * *

With the kettle on, Regina opened the box of herbs from Charlie. She measured out a bit of basil, allspice, some cloves and juniper berries into a mortar. She ground it all slowly with a pestle, all the while envisioning a controlled portal home. From all of her lessons with Rumple in her youth, and all of her experiences since then, she knew intent and emotion were key factors.

Just before the kettle reached a boil, she took it off the heat and set it aside. A small vial of patchouli oil had slid to one side of the box, but she found it and shook three drops into the mortar before recapping it. With all of the herbs returned to the box, Regina ground the contents of the mortar together while murmuring an incantation for a power spell she knew worked in her youth. She added hot water, stirred again and carefully transferred the mixture into a dropper. Then she made them each a cup of tea and added a small measure of the booster. Finally ready, she picked up their cups and headed up the stairs.

* * *

Emma took a tentative sip from her cup. "It's not bad."

"What were you expecting, mud and twigs?" Regina smiled as she tucked a strand of golden hair behind Emma's ear.

"I don't know, but I have to say you look pretty damn sexy in my shirt and nothing else."

"Mmm, but you're biased, dear."

"Damn straight."

"I don't think that word can be applied to either of us, love."

Emma chuckled and leaned in to kiss the curve of Regina's neck. "You smell wonderful, did you know that?"

Regina murmured and lifted her chin.

Emma set her cup on the nightstand without ever lifting her lips from her lover's throat. Her eyes closed and she grazed her lips over the cool skin beneath her. The very tip of her tongue snaked along the contours of Regina's throat, under her chin and along her jawbone, ever so lightly.

Regina shivered with desire and raised her lips to Emma's.

When they parted, Emma laid on her side, propped her head up with a hand and smiled. "I could look at you all night."

"As indulgent as that sounds, I have other ideas." The brunette ran a feather-light index finger along the length of Emma's side. "Finish your tea, dear."

"Tea is the last thing on my mind."

"I know." Regina said quietly. "But there is a point to this seduction, remember?"

Emma finished her tea in two quick gulps.

* * *

As her fingers skipped over the curve of Emma's hips, Regina focused on her magic, and how it felt when it blended with the Saviour's light magic. She focused on the feel of it coursing through her palms, her blood, her skin. She recalled the taste it left in her mouth...cinnamon, apples, and a hint of scotch.

"Roll over, love."

With the blonde comfortably on her stomach, Regina finished her own tea and willed her palms to warm. She measured a small amount of oil from a bottle on the bedside, rubbed her hands together and began to spread the oil over Emma's back. The skin there was smooth and yet dimpled with souvenirs of fights and abuse. She kept her touch light, not only to heighten arousal but also to avoid irritating the scars that mapped her girlfriend's skin.

She heard Emma's breath catch and she lifted her hands. "Tell me if I hurt you."

"You won't." Came the muffled reply.

"Promise me that you'll tell me if I do."

"Promise."

Regina massaged, stroked and caressed as gently as she could. "Emma, think about how our magics feel when we work together…"

* * *

Emma had already been thinking about it. Jefferson's hat, the trigger in the mine, moving the moon in Neverland...every time they had blended their own power it had felt as if some part of her inside was clicking into it's correct place. Another piece of the puzzle adding to the larger picture that was her. Emma turned her head and rested it on her forearms as a realization came to mind.

"If I try and create another portal like this, and we end up at home, it might be more than we're ready to share just yet."

"You might be right." Regina agreed but her touches didn't falter.

"So what if we try and create a perfectly legal passport instead?"

"A passport?"

"It would allow us to have a believable deadline to wrap things up here."

"That's true."

Regina's touch was making it difficult to think of anything except her growing need. With the slightest brush, Emma's heart began to race and she could feel her pulse pounding in her ears.

Feel it at the nape of her neck, where the little hairs were all standing on end.

Feel it spreading over her skin like a tsunami of heat…

She struggled to focus on their goal; Regina's passport, stamped and approved by all the right authorities. But it was getting so hard to concentrate.

When Regina's palms slid to the back of Emma's thighs, her hips arched just a little bit.

"Holy…"

"Control yourself, love. Bring yourself back from the edge."

Emma thought about slipping in the puddle on Main St., the way her knee had smarted when it smacked into the road, she recalled how a hangover felt after one too many beers at The Rabbit Hole and she felt some of the heat dissipate.

"Tell me how a passport should look after someone has travelled for a bit. Describe it as thoroughly as you can." Regina coached as her palms returned to Emma's back.

Emma described the official seal on the cover, the inside pages, even some of the admittance stamps she had in her own documentation.

Each time she lost concentration, Regina would ask another question about the passport, prompting a more complete description.

"Regina...I can't...hover like this...I need…" Emma gasped as she dug her fingers into the sheets.

Without a sound, Regina's fingers slid to Emma's thighs and teased them apart. She caressed her most sensitive nerves, circling, flicking and stroking until Emma gasped into the pillow, arching into her orgasm completely missing the little bursts of blue lights over the bed.

* * *

By the time Regina had fulfilled her plans to have her lover begging, the wee hours of the morning had snuck up on them.

"You're exhausting, Regina." Emma yawned.

"Complaining, love?" The former queen ran an index finger along Emma's naked collarbone.

"Hell, no."

"Good. I expect you'll be sleeping in this morning?"

Emma's pulse quickened again at the teasing touch. "I don't think I could run right now if an ogre was after me. But if you want me to get any sleep, you need to stop touching me like that."

Regina chuckled and kissed the blonde passionately before pulling the covers up over them. "Sleep now."

Emma burrowed closer into Regina's embrace and yawned again. "Love you, 'Gina."

"And I love you, my sweet."

**_To Be Continued!_ **

 


	34. Everyone Loves Conspiracies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a conspiracy afoot...

**"Everyone loves a conspiracy."**

**Dan Brown**

Emma did sleep in that morning. When she drifted into awareness, she took a minute to float at the edge of sleep, not willing to greet the new day just yet. But once she realized she was alone in bed, her eyes opened and sought out Regina. She was disappointed to find herself alone.

The morning light bathed the room in a soft, golden glow warming whatever surface it touched. The window was open and a breeze shifted the curtain, already open a crack. A sunbeam sought out Emma's arm and warmed the skin there. She lay there, still unmoving, enjoying the warmth and the song of the robin somewhere outside. Her mind drifted back to the conversation she and Regina had shared the night before.

She knew portal magic took effort to control. No matter how much work it was, she wanted to have the best of both worlds. And if that meant doing whatever was necessary to create and maintain a steady portal between Desperation Lake and Storybrooke, and if that was what Regina still wanted, Emma would do whatever it took to make it reality. She stretched, yawned and climbed out of bed, intent on having a shower before going in search of Regina.

She normally enjoyed hot showers, but today she kept it on the cool side, and brief. She shut the water off, wrapped a towel around her and was tucking the end of it in as she opened the bathroom door. She blinked when the scent of coffee greeted her. "Smells like the coffee goddess has come to visit."

Regina sat at the desk, reading something, and at the sound of Emma's voice she turned and smiled. "Good morning. I brought you up breakfast." Regina rose and pulled out the chair. "Sit here and eat and I'll sit in the other chair."

"Smells good." Emma commented as she crossed the room.

"Waffles with raspberry sauce, scrambled eggs and coffee. Patty said she found a ripe patch of berries yesterday." Regina settled in the other chair and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good. I think you wore me out." Emma smiled. "How about you?"

"Very well. Better than I have since we got here."

"Are you still okay with staying to tie up loose ends?" Emma asked as she cut into her waffles.

Regina nodded. "I'm confident that if we can continue to remain as focused on our goal as we were last night, we'll be able to have a satisfactory resolution."

"I'm not sure about the portal though."

"Emma, you have to be. Confidence, intent and emotion are all important parts of getting home. If we want to be able to come and go between here and Storybrooke in the future, we'll need to be absolutely confident it will work. The more you believe this will work, the easier it will be to see details that will help the stability of the magic. Doubt, worry and fear are our enemies right now."

Emma nodded and finished her breakfast deep in thought.

With her meal finished, Emma turned to Regina, who had picked up her book once more. "Just so I'm sure we're on the same page here...we're agreed then that we're going to stay and see our commitments through? I want to be sure I understand what you want."

Regina slid a Sneezing Moose business card into the book to mark her place. "I'd like to have the option of being able to return here. I think we should try and produce a passport for myself through magical means while still working on producing a stable portal."

"I don't suppose there's a timeline of events for this kind of thing?"

Regina chuckled. "I'm afraid not. Magic is sometimes a fickle force."

"Well, it was worth a shot anyway. Are we going to help Callie with Operation Enchilada today?"

Regina chuckled. "Henry is going to get along with Callie just fine. I think she and I will need to go shopping. Charlie may have to provide an excuse to get Patty out of the house so you can decorate."

"I'll take the dishes downstairs."

In the kitchen, Emma found Callie drying dishes as Patty washed.

"Patty, can I borrow your daughter for a second?"

"Sure thing, Emma."

 

 

Callie shot Emma a curious look at first, but as they went upstairs, Emma whispered they needed to plan. At the top of the stairs, Callie laid a hand on her doorknob and she motioned with her head.

Emma opened the door across the hall, made eye contact with Regina and jerked her head towards Callie's door.

Once all three of them were in the teenager's room, Callie closed the door softly.

"We still on for Operation Enchilada?" Emma asked.

Callie nodded excitedly.

"Shopping would be easier if all three of us go together, but if we do that, we might tip our hands to your mother." Regina said quietly.

Callie nodded and chewed her bottom lip in thought. "What if you two go out first and I'll follow as soon as Mom and I get the dishes done?"

Emma nodded. "That might work."

"I figure we'll be done cleaning up in about a half hour. I told her I had to go to the library today anyway. So why don't I meet you outside the supermarket in about forty minutes?"

Plans made, they parted company.

 

****

Emma and Regina sat on a bench in the shade beside the supermarket while they waited for their co-conspirator.

"You should put in a green space like this beside our market back in Storybrooke." Emma commented quietly. "It's nice."

"It is. Getting community improvement ideas already, Sheriff?" Regina smiled.

"Why not? I mean, Storybrooke already has a lot going for it, being on the coast and all, but the parking lot beside the market is pretty boring."

"Here she comes."

They waited until Callie was only a few feet away before they stood up.

"Sorry, Mom wanted to talk about breakfast options for tomorrow morning."

"It's a nice spot here. Did you decide what you wanted to make?" Regina asked.

"Sure did. I hope we can pull this off..."

They turned as a group toward the front door of the market and went shopping.

 

****

That afternoon, Charlie knocked on the front door of the B&B before letting herself in. As she slipped her shoes off she called out for Patty.

"In my room." Patty replied. "C'mon back."

Charlie eased the bedroom door open. "Are you still getting dressed? We're only going for coffee and a walk."

Patty turned from her closet with a smile. "No, Miss Impatient, I was putting some laundry away. Let me just tell Callie we're leaving and we can go."

"I can do that while you get your shoes." Charlie left the room and went to the kitchen, where the teen was sketching at the table. "I'll keep her out as long as I can." Charlie whispered. "You've got the keys to the Moose, right?"

"Yep." Callie looked up. "If you can keep her out for about an hour we should be good. Once dinner is over, I'll go to Gen's. You staying over tonight?"

"Um..." Charlie's ears began to tint pink.

Callie grinned. "Relax, will ya? It's not like this is new. Regina and Emma will be all the way upstairs, and it's not like  _they'll_  be playing checkers..."

"Who's playing checkers?" Patty asked as she came into the kitchen.

"I think Emma plays." Callie said as she rose from her chair. "Enjoy your walk." She patted her mother's shoulder and shot Charlie a wink before going upstairs.

Out of sight on the top floor, Emma, Regina and Callie all listened to the sounds of the two women on the main floor. As they heard the front door close, Callie went to her room and looked out the window, which faced the front yard. She watched for a minute to be sure they didn't turn back suddenly.

"Okay, they're far enough down the road that they won't see us, even if Mom looks back over her shoulder. Let's go!"

**To Be Continued!**

 


	35. It Begins...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions are made, and something begins to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry it's been so long between updates on this story. I've been a little distracted with a certain blonde. If you're curious, check out my other works and you'll understand.

_**"There is no mile as long the final one that leads back home."** _

_**Katherine Marsh** _

"I'd say that went fairly well." Emma flopped down on their bed and laid her arm over her eyes.

"Indeed." Regina laid beside her, although without the flopping. "Patty and Charlie make a cute couple. Callie's dinner seemed to be a success."

"You've been quiet tonight." Emma reached out and took Regina's hand. "Got something on your mind?"

Regina was silent for a couple of minutes before she took a deep breath. "Have you thought about what things might be like when we return?"

"My parents can just get over themselves."

"Not just them. What about us? Emma, I don't want to go back to having separate quarters, sleeping apart. I like knowing that if I wake up in the middle of the night I can turn over and wrap myself around you."

"Yeah, I've noticed you like to spoon." Emma smiled.

"You do as well."

"Only with you." Emma chuckled. "You have an idea, I can tell."

"Well, I was wondering if you might like to move your things over..." Regina chewed her bottom lip.

"To the mansion?"

"Why not? There's plenty of room. My bed is larger than this one, there is ample closet space and I'm sure Henry will be happy to have us all together under one roof."

Emma simply rolled on her side, smiled and kissed Regina's cheek. "That's very sweet. Thank you."

"I don't think I could ... go back to how we were before. I don't want to."

"I don't either. I feel more complete now." Emma looked down at their entwined fingers. "I want to get to those renovations for Patty tomorrow. Your passport will be here soon and I don't want to have to wait longer than necessary to get home."

"Going home sounds nice."

"Mm hmm."

 

Regina lay there, idly stroking Emma's hand, acknowledging that she had changed since the portal had brought them here. Knowing she was a better person now. Love had done that. She turned to look into the green eyes beside her and smiled when she saw those eyes closed in sleep.

She sighed deeply, nearly content, and allowed herself to fall asleep.

The next morning, Emma was up as the sun rose. She tiptoed out of the house with her shoes in hand and sat on the front steps to tie them on. She stretched as the sky turned a dusky pink, and began to jog down the driveway and then the road, repeating her new mantra over and over in her head.

_It will work._

_We will get home_

She ran for a half hour before glancing over her shoulder, checked for traffic and crossed the empty road. As she got closer to The Sneezing Moose, she could see Regina and Charlie chatting outside. Regina was obviously watching for her, and waved as soon as she spotted her. Emma lifted an arm back and decided the Moose was far enough for a run.

As Emma's jog slowed, and she stopped in front of the other women, Regina smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Good morning."

Emma flashed her a vibrant smile and returned the kiss while Charlie pretended to straighten the sign.

"If you two young lovers are ready for coffee now?"

Regina chuckled as they all went in. Charlie locked the door behind herself, mumbling, "Stu can just bloody well wait an extra half hour..."

"Someone giving you a hard time about opening early?"

"Stu seems to think that his two morning coffees six days a week give him the right to tell me when I should unlock the door." Charlie went to the coffee machine as she spoke, while Regina and Emma took seats at the long counter. "I've been pondering opening a half hour later anyway. Not much movement out there at this hour anyway. Except young folks that like to jog apparently." The older woman poked at Emma's bicep in fun.

"Sleep in a little later and tell Stu he needs to do the same. Tell him it's good for his testosterone levels."

Charlie laughed and poured coffee for the three of them. "Good idea! I won't see him until noon!"

They spent the next half hour making small talk until Emma decided a shower was in order.

"Well, I better go wash this sweat off before I tackle whatever is on Patty's list. Are you cooking this morning, Regina?"

The brunette nodded. "I am. A new muffin for the breakfast crowd. Be careful, Emma."

Emma nodded and let her lips graze Regina's cheek. "I will." Then she grinned at the diner owner, who was smiling at them fondly. "See you later, Charlie."

 

After a filling breakfast of eggs, bacon, rye toast and coffee, Emma and Patty measured, marked and taped off the area that would be the walk-in pantry. Patty held two by fours while Emma bolted them to the floor, and then to the walls. Working together, they soon had a sturdy skeleton constructed and anchored. After a little discussion, specific wall-studs were reinforced and just as Patty started to insist on a coffee break, there was a knock at the door.

"Sit and take a load off, Emma. I'll get it."

"Oh, good timing, Sheriff! Come on in and have a cup."

"Patty, I'm off duty, you can call me Don."

"Never mind that, my mother raised me to have better manners than that. Come and have a seat. Emma, Sheriff Stirling has agreed to be our electrician so the pantry can be lit!"

"That's great, because I certainly can't do it."

"Hello, Sheriff Swan." Stirling stuck his hand out. "I'm a little surprised you can't install wiring. According to Callie, you almost walk on water!"

Emma shook the lawman's hand and chuckled. "Well, I haven't tried, so…"

"Thanks for doing this, Sheriff. Emma tells me once the wiring is done it shouldn't be too long before I'll have a walk-in pantry!"

"It's no problem, really. Would you mind giving me a hand, Emma, once we've had some coffee? After that, I'd be glad to help you if you'd like."

"Sounds good."

By the time Regina came back from The Sneezing Moose, the pantry was nearly done. All that remained was painting and installing the small lights, which Emma planned to do the next day. As she was showing Regina what she and Don had done, Emma yawned widely.

"Why don't you go on up and rest? Callie can help me with dinner as soon as she gets in."

"I'm okay, Patty, it was just a little yawn."

"Sure, and the moon is made of green cheese. G'won." Patty gave Emma a light push in the direction of the stairs as she laughed. "Go. Scoot. I'll send Callie up to get you when dinner is ready."

Emma shook her head and smiled when Regina took her hand and led her upstairs.

 

"I'm not surprised you're tired. You worked hard after that run this morning."

Emma shrugged as they got to the top of the stairs. "Didn't really think I'd need to nap this much as an adult."

Once the door was shut behind them, Regina moved close so she could speak quietly without being overheard. "You have to remember that you've been attempting to make magic. That drains a person differently."

"That's true, but I don't think I need to sleep. Maybe just rest a while." Emma kissed Regina lightly. "Are you going to join me in a non-nap?"

Regina softly ran her knuckles down the blonde's jaw-line. "I will lay down, but I really do think you should get a little sleep if you can. I was hoping we could try producing a portal tonight."

"Sounds like a plan." Emma turned her head and kissed Regina's hand before the brunette stepped away. Sighing, Emma sat on the end of the bed and took her shoes off, then headed for the bathroom.

When she came back, Regina had changed into a t-shirt and shorts and was on her side in bed with a sheet pulled up to her knees.

Emma stepped out of her pants and asked. "What are you reading?"

"One of the books we got from the library on magic. Did you need more than this sheet?"

"No, it should be..." Emma was surprised by a large yawn that took over her face. "Fine. wow, I guess I am tired."

"Lay down here with me and close your eyes. Even if you just try and still your mind, it should help."

The bed was soft and molded to Emma's body. She sighed and closed her eyes as Regina pulled the sheet to their waists.

"Focus on Henry, getting home to him. Focus on driving that horrid car of yours..."

Emma smiled and thought about teaching Henry to drive the Bug, she envisioned moving her things into the mansion on Mifflin street and eating at the table in the dining room.

Beside her, Regina smiled to hear Emma's breathing even out. A sure sign that she had given in to her exhaustion.

Regina took her own advice and stilled her careening thoughts, and followed her girlfriend into sleep.

Neither of them saw Henry's face shimmer in the mirror.

_**To Be Continued** _


End file.
